ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session
	House: ED DP 10-1-1-1 | APPROP DP 10-0-0-1

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HB 2639: public service scholarship fund

Sponsor:  Representative Blackman, LD 6

Caucus & COW

Overview

Establishes the John McCain Public Service Scholarship Fund (Fund) that is to be administered by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR).

History

Federal post-service education awards may be earned by individuals who complete an approved term of national service in federal programs. For example, individuals who complete an approved term of national service in the AmeriCorps may earn the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. The award is a post-service benefit that may be used to pay expenses at eligible postsecondary institutions or to repay qualified school loans. For FY 2020, the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for full-time participation in an AmeriCorps program (or 1,700 hours) is $6,195.

ABOR is the governing body of Arizona's public university system and provides policy guidance to the three in-state universities: Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. ABOR is required to fix tuitions and fees to be charged and must differentiate the tuitions and fees between in-state universities and between residents, nonresidents and graduate students (A.R.S. § 15-1626).

John Sidney McCain III represented Arizona's 1st congressional district from 1983 to 1987, after which he was elected United States Senator from Arizona, a position he served in until his death from glioblastoma in 2018.

Provisions

1. Establishes the Fund that is to be administered by ABOR. (Sec. 1)

2. Requires ABOR to:

a) Use Fund monies to provide scholarships to students who:

i. Complete a term of service in a national service program that is supported by the federal government;

ii. Receive a federal post-service education award; and

iii. Use the federal post-service education award to attend an eligible in-state educational institution or program;

b) Establish a scholarship application process;

c) Adopt policies to award a scholarship by March 1 of each fiscal year, with priority given to applicants based on financial need; and

d) Notify the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Director of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the State Treasurer by March 1 annually of the total amount awarded for the current fiscal year. (Sec. 1)

3. Stipulates that each scholarship must be equal to the recipient's federal post-service education award. (Sec. 1)

4. Requires a scholarship recipient to:

a) Be in good academic standing;

b) Use scholarship monies within three years after completing service in a national service program;

c) Use scholarship monies only under the terms of the federal post-service education award and at in-state educational institutions or programs; and

d) Only spend scholarship monies after all of the recipient's federal post-service education award monies have been spent. (Sec. 1)

5. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2021 to the Fund. (Sec. 2)

6. Exempts the appropriations from lapsing. (Sec. 1)

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Initials CH                   Caucus & COW

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