ARIZONA STATE SENATE

JESSA MARIE SAN ANDRES

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH INTERN

 

JEFFREY ONG

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

RESEARCH STAFF

 

 

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

                        EDUCATION COMMITTEE

DATE:            March 19, 2021

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to H.B. 2638, relating to Arizona community college promise scholarship


 


Purpose

Establishes the Arizona Community College Promise Scholarship Program (Scholarship Program) overseen by the Arizona Community College Promise Scholarship Commission (Scholarship Commission). Creates the Arizona Community College Promise Scholarship Fund (Scholarship Fund) and appropriates $10,000,000 from the state General Fund (GF) in FY 2022 to the Scholarship Fund.

Background

  A community college is an educational institution that is operated by a district board and provides a program not exceeding two years' training in the arts, sciences and humanities beyond grade 12 of the public or private high school course of study or vocational education, including terminal courses of a technical and vocational nature and basic adult education courses (A.R.S. § 15-1401).

  Admission to community colleges may be granted to any person who: 1) is a high school graduate; 2) has a high school certificate of equivalency; 3) is at least 18 years old and demonstrates evidence of potential success in the community college; 4) is a transfer student in good standing from another college or university; or 5) is under 18 years old but meets minimum course prerequisite requirements (A.R.S. § 15-1805.01).

Currently, each community college district provides a tuition waiver scholarship at any community college in the district, to any person who: 1) resides in Arizona; 2) either is currently in foster care and is at least 14 years old, was in foster care when the person was at least 14 years old, or was adopted from foster care and the adoption was finalized after the person was 14 years old; 3) is a U.S. citizen or a noncitizen who is lawfully present; 4) has total personal assets, worth less than $10,000; 5) is under 23 years old; 6) is accepted or enrolled in a degree, certificate or other accredited program; 7) completed and submitted a free application for federal student aid; 8) annually completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service after the first academic year; and 9) remains in good standing with the policies established by the community college (A.R.S. § 15-1809.01).

H.B. 2638 appropriates $10,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2022 to the Scholarship Fund.

Provisions

Scholarship Program

1.   Establishes the Scholarship Program that is administered by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).

2.   Requires ADE to provide the following student support services:

a)   virtual mentoring;

b)   access to a professional mentor with experience helping community college students; and

c)   a structured mentoring and advising program.

3.   Specifies a scholarship eligible student must meet all the following requirements:

a)   as of October 1, 2021, not be enrolled in a higher education institution;

b)   after October 1, 2021, be enrolled in a community college;

c)   submit proof that the student graduated from an Arizona high school in either 2020 or 2021 with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; and

d)   complete and apply for federal student aid for the year and meet eligibility criteria for the federal Pell grant.

4.   Requires ADE to award each eligible student applicant an annual scholarship of up to $3,000 for up to two years.

5.   Allows a recipient to use scholarship monies for any cost of attending community college.

6.   Specifies a scholarship is reduced by the amount of any other federal aid scholarships or public grants including any other public aid received by the recipient from their community college.

7.   Prohibits a scholarship from being reduced by the amount of federal grants received by the person from the Department of Child Safety under the Arizona Education and Training Voucher program.

8.   Allows a student to reapply and receive a scholarship for a second year if the student:

a)   submits proof they deposited at least an additional $500 in an account associated with the Family College Savings Program Trust Fund; and

b)   remains in good academic standing at the community college where the student is enrolled.

9.   Terminates the Scholarship Program on July 1, 2031.

Scholarship Commission Membership

10.  Establishes the Scholarship Commission consisting of the following members:

a)   one community college president from a county with a population of more than 600,000 persons, appointed by the President of the Senate;

b)   one community college president from a county with a population of 600,000 persons or less, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

c)   one member with expertise in nontraditional, higher education students, appointed by the Governor;

d)   one member with expertise in higher education financial aid, who resides in a county with a population of more than 600,000 persons, appointed by the Governor; and

e)   one member with expertise in higher education financial aid, who resides in a county with a population of 600,000 persons or less, appointed by the Governor.

11.  Directs the Scholarship Commission to:

a)   oversee the Scholarship Program; and

b)   contract with a vendor that:

  i. is a nonprofit organization with statewide experience in administering scholarships and awards for higher education institutions; and

  ii. is selected through a request for proposals to provide student support to scholarship recipients.

12.  Terminates the Scholarship Commission on July 1, 2029.

Scholarship Fund

13.  Establishes the Scholarship Fund consisting of legislative appropriations and private grants, gifts, contributions and devises for the purpose of administering the Scholarship Program.

14.  Directs ADE to administer the Scholarship Fund and establish criteria for distributing monies to recipients.

15.  Allows ADE to accept and spend private grants, gifts, contributions and devises.

16.  States that Scholarship Fund monies do not revert to the state GF at the end of the fiscal year.

17.  Allows ADE to use up to three percent of Scholarship Fund monies for administrative expenses and student support services.

18.  Specifies that Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing.

Miscellaneous

19.  Appropriates $10,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2022 to the Scholarship Fund.

20.  Becomes effective on the general effective date.