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REFERENCE TITLE: Arizona promise program; appropriation |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session 2021
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SB 1508 |
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Introduced by Senator Boyer
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AN ACT
amending Title 15, chapter 14, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding article 8.1; appropriating monies; relating to postsecondary institutions.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 14, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding article 8.1, to read:
ARTICLE 8.1. ARIZONA PROMISE PROGRAM
15-1883. Arizona promise program; eligibility requirements; award; fund; program termination; definitions
A. Eligible postsecondary institutions shall implement an Arizona promise program to provide financial assistance to students who meet the criteria prescribed in this section and who are pursuing studies in this state leading to an associate or baccalaureate degree.
B. Except as otherwise provided by law, to be eligible to participate in the Arizona promise program and to qualify for an award under this section, a student shall meet all of the following requirements:
1. Qualify for in-state student status as prescribed in section 15-1802.
2. Establish financial need. To establish financial need under this paragraph, an applicant shall meet the economic eligibility requirements established under the national school lunch and child nutrition acts (42 United States Code sections 1751 through 1793) for free or reduced-price lunches.
3. Have graduated from a high school in this state with a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale for all work attempted in grades nine through twelve.
4. Satisfy the admission standards as determined by an eligible postsecondary institution.
5. complete and submit the free application for federal student aid and meet the eligibility criteria for the federal pell grant.
6. secure admission to, and be enrolled in, an eligible postsecondary institution for at least half-time status as determined by federal student financial aid guidelines.
C. To retain eligibility while pursuing the program of higher learning in which the student is enrolled, the student shall meet all of the following requirements:
1. Meet the requirements for retention and degree or certificate completion as established by the eligible postsecondary institution in which the student is enrolled.
2. Maintain satisfactory academic progress as required for eligibility for federal student financial aid.
3. Complete and submit the free application for federal student aid.
4. Maintain at least half-time status as determined by federal student financial aid guidelines.
5. Comply with the standards related to maintenance of eligibility as adopted by the governing board of the eligible postsecondary institution.
D. Each eligible postsecondary institution shall provide to each eligible student an award up to the actual cost of in-state tuition and fees, except that an award provided pursuant to this section shall be reduced by the amount of any other federal aid scholarships or public grants and any other financial gifts, grants or aid received by that person.
E. An award under this section may not be used for courses or other postsecondary units taken in excess of the requirements for the completion of a baccalaureate program.
F. An award under this section may be awarded for a maximum of eight academic semesters or their equivalent.
G. An award under this section shall be awarded to all eligible applicants without limit other than the amount of monies available for the Arizona promise program and the number of eligible applicants. If appropriated monies are insufficient to provide awards for all eligible applicants, the Arizona board of regents shall guarantee the award for applicants who enroll in a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.
H. The Arizona promise program fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations and any other monies for the purpose of administering the Arizona promise program and distributing award monies. The Arizona board of regents shall administer the fund, including developing and implementing centralized administrative processes for distributing monies in the fund to eligible postsecondary institutions each fiscal year. The Arizona board of regents may accept and spend federal monies and private grants, gifts, contributions and devises, including private, philanthropic, public and other sources of monies, to assist in carrying out the purposes of this section. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. Monies in the fund may be used for any of the following:
1. Reimbursing Arizona promise program awards that cover the balance of tuition and fees for eligible participants enrolled in an eligible postsecondary institution after all other gifts and aid received.
2. Administering the Arizona promise program, including hiring and retaining additional personnel. the administration of the program includes data collection, reporting, tracking and analyzing the program.
3. Designing and implementing a marketing and promotion plan for the Arizona promise program.
I. Annual expenditures for marketing, promoting and administering the Arizona promise program may not exceed three percent of the monies in the fund each fiscal year.
J. Monies remaining in the Arizona promise program fund at the end of each fiscal year may be used by eligible postsecondary institutions for Arizona promise program costs in the next fiscal year.
K. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2031 pursuant to section 41-3102.
L. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Eligible postsecondary institutions" means universities under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Board of Regents, community colleges in Arizona, and colleges in this state that are owned, operated or chartered by a qualifying Indian tribe on its own Indian reservation.
2. "Tuition and fees" means tuition, mandatory fees and program fees that are associated with a program in the eligible postsecondary institution and that are charged by an eligible postsecondary institution.
Sec. 2. Appropriation; Arizona promise program fund
The sum of $50,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2021-2022 to the Arizona promise program fund established by section 15-1883, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.