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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session |
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HB 2616: public service scholarship fund
Sponsor: Representative Márquez, LD 5
Committee on Education
Overview
Establishes the Public Service Scholarship Fund (Fund) to provide scholarships to students who participate in a national service program. Appropriates an unspecified amount from the state General Fund (GF) to the Fund in FY 2026.
History
Federal postservice education awards may be earned by individuals who complete an approved term of service in a national service program, such as AmeriCorps. Individuals who complete a term of service in AmeriCorps may earn the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which may be used to pay educational expenses at eligible schools or to repay qualified student loans. The amount of a full-time Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is equal to the maximum value of the Pell Grant for the fiscal year in which the national service term is approved. For FY 2024, the full-time award is $7,395 (Segal AmeriCorps Education Award).
Provisions
1. Establishes the Fund and states that:
a) the Fund is administered by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR);
b) the Fund consists of legislative appropriations and other monies; and
c) Fund monies are subject to legislative appropriation and exempt from lapsing. (Sec. 1)
2. Appropriates an unspecified amount from the state GF in FY 2026 to the Fund and from the Fund to ABOR. (Sec. 2)
3. Directs ABOR to use Fund monies to provide scholarships to students who:
a) receive a federal postservice education award after completing a term of service in a national service program designed to improve lives, foster civic engagement and that is supported by the federal government; and
b) use the award to attend an educational institution or program in Arizona that is eligible under the terms of the federal postservice education award. (Sec. 1)
4. Instructs ABOR to establish a scholarship application process that requires each applicant to submit proof that they meet the prescribed eligibility requirements. (Sec. 1)
5. Requires ABOR to award scholarships on a first-come first-served basis. (Sec. 1)
6. Calculates each recipient's scholarship in an amount equal to their federal postservice education award. (Sec. 1)
7. Stipulates each scholarship recipient must:
a) demonstrate to ABOR that they are in good academic standing with their educational institution or program before spending any scholarship monies;
b) use all scholarship monies within three years of completing service in a national service program;
c) use a scholarship only for purposes that are allowed under the terms of the federal postservice education award and only at eligible educational institutions or programs in Arizona; and
d) not spend scholarship monies until all federal postservice education award monies are spent. (Sec. 1)
8. Redirects, after three years, a recipient's unused scholarship monies to the Fund. (Sec. 1)
9. Defines educational institution as an Arizona public university or a community college. (Sec. 1)
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13. HB 2616
14. Initials CH/ML Page 0 Education
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