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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
students; community college grants
Purpose
Establishes the Arizona Works Community College Grants (Grants) for students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programs at community colleges. Establishes the Arizona Works Community College Grant Fund (Fund) and appropriates $10,000,000 from the state General Fund in each of FYs 2020 through 2024.
Background
Career and technical education and vocational education (CTE and vocational education) is statutorily defined as vocational and technical preparation programs for pupils in 9th through 12th grades (A.R.S. § 15-781). School districts provide entry-level CTE and vocational education, while career technical education districts provide CTE programs to prepare students for advanced CTE or the workforce.
Statute assigns primary responsibility for postsecondary technical education, and advanced CTE and vocational education to community college district governing boards (district boards). District governing boards and the State Board for Private Postsecondary Education are charged with providing CTE and vocational education that focuses on Arizona's economic development (A.R.S. § 15-790).
S.B. 1191 appropriates $10,000,000 from the state General Fund to the Fund in each of FYs 2020 through 2024.
Provisions
Grants
1. Requires, beginning August 1, 2019, that district boards administer Grants for the tuition and mandatory fees of students enrolled in community college CTE programs in that district.
2. Establishes Grant eligibility requirements that require a student to:
a) be an Arizona resident;
b) complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
c) enroll in a CTE program or program that leads to an industry or vocational certification at an Arizona community college;
d) be a dependent student who reports a parental federal adjusted gross income of no more than $60,000 on a FAFSA, or an independent student who reports a family adjusted gross income of no more than $60,000 on a FAFSA; and
e) have a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Limits a student's Grant eligibility to two consecutive academic years and establishes that a student is eligible to renew the Grant for a second year if the student:
a) completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service in the previous academic year; and
b) maintains a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
4. Limits the Grant amount to the cost of that community college's tuition and mandatory fees after all financial aid, including aid from a federal Pell Grant, is credited to the student's tuition and mandatory fees.
Grant Funding
5. Establishes the Fund to consist of legislative appropriations and requires the Treasurer to administer the Fund and distribute Fund monies to Arizona community colleges.
6. Appropriates $10,000,000 from the state General Fund to the Treasurer for deposit to the Fund in each of FYs 2020 through 2024.
7. Requires Grants to be funded using Fund monies and requires, if fiscal year Fund monies are insufficient to pay tuition and fees for each eligible student in a fiscal year, that monies from the Fund be prorated.
8. Requires the Treasurer to administer the Fund and distribute Fund monies to Arizona community colleges.
9. Specifies that Fund monies are subject to legislative appropriation.
Miscellaneous
10. Requires Arizona community colleges to annually report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Auditor General:
a) the number of Grant applicants and Grant recipients;
b) the average Grant amount; and
c) the academic completion rate of Grant recipients.
11. Requires the Auditor General to annually review the issued Grants and report, by October 15, 2025, on the effectiveness of the program to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and provide a copy of the report to the Secretary of State.
12. Repeals the Grants and Fund on July 1, 2026.
13. Becomes effective on the general effective date, retroactive to August 1, 2019.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 31, 2019
JO/LB/gs