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REFERENCE TITLE: Arizona promise scholarships; community colleges |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session 2024
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SB 1489 |
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Introduced by Senators Diaz: Alston, Fernandez, Hatathlie, Mendez; Representatives Aguilar, Austin, Crews, Hernandez A, Ortiz, Quiñonez
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An Act
amending title 41, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-710.03; appropriating monies; relating to the department of administration.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 41, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-710.03, to read:
41-710.03. Arizona community college promise scholarship program; commission; fund; eligibility; definition
A. The Arizona community college promise scholarship program is established. The department shall administer the program, and the Arizona community college promise scholarship commission established by subsection B of this section shall oversee the program.
B. The Arizona community college promise scholarship commission is established consisting of the following members:
1. One president of a community college in a county with a population of more than six hundred thousand persons, who is appointed by the president of the senate.
2. One president of a community college in a county with a population of six hundred thousand persons or less, who is appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
3. One member who has expertise in nontraditional students in higher education and who is appointed by the governor.
4. One member who has expertise in higher education financial aid, who resides in a county WITH A POPULATION OF MORE THAN SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND PERSONS and WHO is appointed by the governor.
5. One member who has expertise in higher education financial aid, who resides in a county WITH A POPULATION OF SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND PERSONS or less and WHO is appointed by the governor.
C. The Arizona community college promise scholarship commission shall contract with a vendor that both:
1. Is a nonprofit organization that has statewide experience in administering scholarships and awards for institutions of higher education.
2. Is selected through a request for proposals to provide student support to scholarship recipients under this section.
D. The Arizona community college promise scholarship fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations and private grants, gifts, contributions and devises made for the purpose of administering the Arizona community college promise scholarship program. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The department may accept and spend private grants, gifts, contributions and devises to assist in carrying out the purposes of this section. These monies do not revert to the state general fund at the end of a fiscal year. The department shall administer the fund and shall establish criteria for distributing monies in the fund to scholarship recipients. The department may use up to ten percent of monies in the fund for administrative expenses and student support services.
e. The department shall provide the following student support services:
1. Virtual mentoring.
2. Access to a PROFESSIONAL mentor with experience in helping community college students.
3. A structured mentoring and advising program that has demonstrated results.
f. An eligible student may apply for a scholarship under this section by applying to The department in a manner prescribed by the department. To be eligible for a scholarship under this section, a student must meet all of the following:
1. Qualify for in-state student status as prescribed in section 15-1802.
2. 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.
3. Satisfy the admission standards as determined by a community college in this state.
4. Complete and submit the free application for federal student aid and meet the eligibility criteria for the federal pell grant.
5. Secure admission to, and be enrolled in, a community college in this state for at least full-time status as determined by federal student financial aid guidelines.
g. The department shall award to each eligible student applicant a scholarship of up to $3,000 each year for a maximum of two years. A recipient may use the scholarship monies for any cost of attending the community college and is not required to use the monies only for tuition.
h. A scholarship provided pursuant to this section shall be reduced by the amount of any other federal aid scholarships or public grants and any other public aid received by that person from or through the community college at which the person is enrolled, except that a scholarship may not be 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.
i. A student may reapply to receive a scholarship under this section for a second year if the student meets all of the following requirements:
1. Maintains satisfactory academic progress as required for eligibility for federal student financial aid.
2. Completes and submits the free application for federal student aid.
3. Maintains at least full-time status as determined by federal student financial aid guidelines.
4. Complies with the standards related to maintenance of eligibility as adopted by the Arizona community college promise scholarship commission.
j. For the purposes of this section, "community college" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-1401.
Sec. 2. Appropriation; Arizona community college promise scholarship fund
The sum of $10,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2024-2025 to the Arizona community college promise scholarship fund established by section 41-710.03, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.