Assigned to HEWD & APPROP AS
PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
community college opportunity grants; appropriations
Purpose
Establishes the Community College Opportunity Grants (Grants) for eligible community and tribal college students to pay for tuition and approved educational fees. Creates the Community College Opportunity Grant Fund (Fund) and appropriates $5,000,000 from the state General Fund (GF) in each of FYs 2021 through 2023.
Background
Each community college district must submit their proposed budget to the district board to include the per capita expenditure per full-time student to determine the total operational expenses for the school year (A.R.S. § 15-461). State aid is appropriated to community colleges for building initial and additional campuses, and appropriated per capita for science, technology, engineering and mathematics and workforce programs (A.R.S. § § 15-1463 and 15-1464).
In FY 2020, community colleges were provided a one-time state aid funding that included appropriations for the Maricopa Community College healthcare expansion, the Pima Community College Aviation Center, tribal assistance and rural funding (JLBC FY 20201 Baseline Book).
The Postsecondary Education Fund is established consisting of monies appropriated by the Legislature, received from state agencies, political subdivisions and federal funding, and gifts grants and donations received from any private source (A.R.S. § 15-1853). The Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education establishes grant programs for eligible students.
S.B. 1463 appropriates $5,000,000 from the state GF to the Fund in each of FYs 2021 through 2023.
Provisions
Grants
1. Directs, beginning August 1, 2020, each community college district governing board and tribal college to administer Grants for eligible students.
2. Requires the Grants to be used for tuition and approved educational fees for up to 18 credit hours at any tribal or community college within the district for one year.
3. Establishes Grant eligibility requirements that require a student to:
a) graduate from any Arizona public or private high school or obtain an Arizona high school equivalency diploma;
b) complete and submit a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA);
c) meet enrollment eligibility criteria and enroll in a tribal college or an Arizona community college for a minimum of six credit hours;
d) be either:
i. a dependent student who reports on a FAFSA a parental federal adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less; or
ii. an independent student who reports on a FAFSA a family adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less; and
4. Specifies, if a high school or high school equivalency transcript no longer exists or every reasonable effort has been made to obtain and locate the records but fails, a student may submit:
f) a letter certified by the student's graduating high school that states the student's grade point average; or
g) the student's original high school diploma, if the student's grade point average is evidenced by the high school diploma.
4. Limits the amount of a Grant to the cost of tuition and approved educational fees for up to 18 credit hours per semester for one year after all other financial aid received by the student, including from a federal Pell Grant.
5. Allows an eligible student who is enrolled in less than 12 credit hours per semester to receive a prorated Grant amount based on the number of credit hours the student is enrolled.
Grant Funding
6. Establishes the Fund consisting of legislative appropriations with the purpose of supporting Grants.
7. Appropriates $5,000,000 in each of FYs 2021 through 2023 from the state General Fund to the Fund.
8. Appropriates $5,000,000 in each of FYs 2021 through 2023 from the Fund to support the Grants as outlined.
9. Requires that monies in the Fund be prorated if they are insufficient to pay tuition and fees for each eligible student in a fiscal year.
10. Requires the State Treasurer to administer the Fund and distribute monies to Arizona tribal and community colleges based on the cost of tuition and mandatory fees minus all other financial aid for students eligible for Grants.
11. Requires tribal colleges and community college districts to cooperate and provide all necessary information to the State Treasurer for disbursing Grant monies for eligible students.
Miscellaneous
12. Defines approved educational fees as:
a) general fees;
b) registration fees;
c) facility fees;
d) technology fees;
e) lab fees or other program or course fees, including fees for coursework in nursing, culinary and other career and technical education programs; and
f) student activity fees.
13. Becomes effective on the general effective date, retroactive to August 1, 2020.
Amendments Adopted by Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
1. Includes tribal colleges in the Grant Program.
2. Requires the administration of the Fund and distribution of monies to Arizona tribal and community colleges to be based on the cost of tuition and mandatory fees minus all other financial aid for eligible Grant students.
3. Requires tribal colleges and community college districts to cooperate and provide all necessary information to the State Treasurer for disbursing Grant monies for eligible students.
Amendments Adopted by Appropriations Committee
1. Includes tribal colleges in the Grant Program.
2. Requires the administration of the Fund and distribution of monies to Arizona tribal and community colleges to be based on the cost of tuition and mandatory fees minus all other financial aid for eligible Grant students.
3. Requires tribal colleges and community college districts to cooperate and provide all necessary information to the State Treasurer for disbursing Grant monies for eligible students.
4. Terminates all appropriations in FY 2023 rather than FY 2025.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Establishes additional Grant eligibility requirements that require a student to:
a) submit their completed FAFSA form;
b) meet enrollment eligibility criteria for a tribal or community college; and
c) submit a high school or high school equivalency transcript that proves a graduating minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, with exceptions as outlined.
Senate Action
HEWD 2/10/20 DPA 7-0-0
APPROP 2/25/20 DPA 7-1-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 10, 2020
JO/MB/gs