Connecticut 2022 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05135 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	LCO No. 1127 1 of 7
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7	7	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5135
8	8	February Session, 2022
9	9	LCO No. 1127
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12	12	Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
13	13	EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
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16	16	Introduced by:
17	17	(HED)
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22	22	AN ACT EXPANDING THE ROBERTA B. WILLIS SCHOLARSHIP
23	23	PROGRAM TO STUDENTS OF PRIVATE OCCUPATIONAL SCHOOLS.
24	24	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
25	25	Assembly convened:
26	26
27	27	Section 1. Section 10a-173 of the 2022 supplement to the general 1
28	28	statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
29	29	(Effective October 1, 2022): 3
30	30	(a) For the purposes of this section: 4
31	31	(1) "Family contribution" means the expected family contribution for 5
32	32	educational costs as computed from the student's Free Application for 6
33	33	Federal Student Aid; 7
34	34	(2) "Full-time or part-time undergraduate student" means a student 8
35	35	who is enrolled at an institution of higher education in a course of study 9
36	36	leading to such student's first associate or bachelor's degree and who is 10
37	37	carrying, for a full-time student, twelve or more semester credit hours, 11
38	38	or, for a part-time student, between six and eleven semester credit hours 12
39	39	at such institution of higher education; 13
40	40	LCO No. 1127 2 of 7
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42	42	(3) "Independent institution of higher education" means a nonprofit 14
43	43	institution established in this state (A) that has degree-granting 15
44	44	authority in this state; (B) that has its main campus located in this state; 16
45	45	(C) that is not included in the Connecticut system of public higher 17
46	46	education; and (D) whose primary function is not the preparation of 18
47	47	students for religious vocation; 19
48	48	(4) "Public institution of higher education" means the constituent 20
49	49	units of the state system of higher education identified in subdivisions 21
50	50	(1) and (2) of section 10a-1; 22
51	51	(5) "Private occupational school" has the same meaning as provided 23
52	52	in section 10a-22a; and 24
53	53	[(5)] (6) "Eligible educational costs" means the tuition and required 25
54	54	fees for an individual student that are published by each institution of 26
55	55	higher education and private occupational school participating in the 27
56	56	grant program established under this section, plus a fixed amount for 28
57	57	required books and educational supplies as determined by the Office of 29
58	58	Higher Education. 30
59	59	(b) The state, acting through the Office of Higher Education, shall 31
60	60	establish the Governor's Scholarship program to annually make need-32
61	61	based financial aid available for eligible educational costs for 33
62	62	Connecticut residents (1) enrolled at Connecticut's public and 34
63	63	independent institutions of higher education as full-time or part-time 35
64	64	undergraduate students beginning with new or transfer students in the 36
65	65	fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, and (2) enrolled at Connecticut's private 37
66	66	occupational schools beginning with new or transfer students in the 38
67	67	fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. On and after July 1, 2016, said program 39
68	68	shall be known as the "Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program". Any 40
69	69	award made to a student in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, under 41
70	70	the capitol scholarship grant program, established under section 10a-42
71	71	169 of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, 43
72	72	the Connecticut aid to public college students grant program, 44
73	73	established under section 10a-164a of the general statutes, revision of 45
74	74	1958, revised to January 1, 2013, Connecticut aid to Charter Oak, 46
75	75	LCO No. 1127 3 of 7
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77	77	established under subsection (c) of section 10a-164a of the general 47
78	78	statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, or the Connecticut 48
79	79	independent college student grant program, established under section 49
80	80	10a-36 of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 50
81	81	2013, shall be offered under the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program 51
82	82	and be renewable for the life of the original award, provided such 52
83	83	student meets and continues to meet the need and academic standards 53
84	84	established for purposes of the program under which such student 54
85	85	received the original award. 55
86	86	(c) Within available appropriations, the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship 56
87	87	program shall include a need and merit-based grant, a need-based grant 57
88	88	and a Charter Oak grant. The need and merit-based grant shall be 58
89	89	funded at not less than twenty per cent but not more than thirty per cent 59
90	90	of available appropriations. The need-based grant shall be funded at up 60
91	91	to eighty per cent of available appropriations. The Charter Oak grant 61
92	92	shall be not less than one hundred thousand dollars of available 62
93	93	appropriations. There shall be an administrative allowance based on 63
94	94	one-quarter of one per cent of the available appropriations, but (1) for 64
95	95	the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, not less than three hundred fifty 65
96	96	thousand dollars, and (2) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, and 66
97	97	each fiscal year thereafter, not less than one hundred thousand dollars. 67
98	98	In addition to the amount of the annual appropriation allocated to the 68
99	99	regional community-technical colleges under subsection (e) of this 69
100	100	section, and to regional community-technical college students under 70
101	101	subsection (d) of this section, not less than two and one-half per cent of 71
102	102	the annual appropriation shall be allocated to the regional community-72
103	103	technical colleges to be used for financial aid purposes. 73
104	104	(d) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need and merit-based grant 74
105	105	shall be available to any Connecticut resident who is a full-time or part-75
106	106	time undergraduate student at any public or independent institution of 76
107	107	higher education or who is a student at a private occupational school. 77
108	108	The Office of Higher Education shall determine eligibility by financial 78
109	109	need based on family contribution and eligibility by merit based on 79
110	110	either previous high school academic achievement or performance on 80
111	111	LCO No. 1127 4 of 7
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113	113	standardized academic aptitude tests. The Office of Higher Education 81
114	114	shall make awards according to a sliding scale, annually determined by 82
115	115	said office, up to a maximum family contribution and based on available 83
116	116	appropriations and eligible students. The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship 84
117	117	need and merit-based grant shall be awarded in a higher amount than 85
118	118	the need-based grant awarded pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. 86
119	119	Recipients of the need and merit-based grant shall not be eligible to 87
120	120	receive an additional need-based award. The order of institutions of 88
121	121	higher education and private occupational schools provided by a 89
122	122	student on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid shall 90
123	123	not affect the student's eligibility for an award under this subsection. 91
124	124	The accepting institution of higher education and private occupational 92
125	125	school shall disburse sums awarded under the need and merit-based 93
126	126	grant for payment of the student's eligible educational costs. 94
127	127	(e) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need-based grant shall be 95
128	128	available to any Connecticut resident who is a full-time or part-time 96
129	129	undergraduate student at any public or independent institution of 97
130	130	higher education or who is a student at a private occupational school. 98
131	131	The amount of the annual appropriation to be allocated to each 99
132	132	institution of higher education shall be determined by its actual full-100
133	133	time equivalent enrollment of undergraduate students who are 101
134	134	Connecticut residents with a family contribution during the fall 102
135	135	semester of the fiscal year two years prior to the grant year of an amount 103
136	136	not greater than two hundred per cent of the maximum family 104
137	137	contribution eligible for a federal Pell grant award for the academic year 105
138	138	one year prior to the grant year. Not later than July first, annually, each 106
139	139	institution of higher education shall report such enrollment data to the 107
140	140	Office of Higher Education. Not later than October first, annually, the 108
141	141	Office of Higher Education shall (1) publish such enrollment data on its 109
142	142	Internet web site, and (2) notify each institution of higher education of 110
143	143	the proportion of the annual appropriation that such institution of 111
144	144	higher education will receive the following fiscal year and publish the 112
145	145	proportions for each institution of higher education on its Internet web 113
146	146	site. Participating institutions of higher education shall make awards 114
147	147	(A) to eligible full-time students in an amount up to four thousand five 115
148	148	LCO No. 1127 5 of 7
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150	150	hundred dollars, and (B) to eligible part-time students in an amount that 116
151	151	is prorated according to the number of credits each student will earn for 117
152	152	completing the course or courses in which such student is enrolled, such 118
153	153	that a student enrolled in a course or courses earning (i) at least nine but 119
154	154	less than twelve credits is eligible for up to seventy-five per cent of the 120
155	155	maximum award, and (ii) at least six but less than nine credits is eligible 121
156	156	for up to fifty per cent of the maximum award. The amount of the annual 122
157	157	appropriation to be allocated to each private occupational school shall 123
158	158	be as determined by the Office of Higher Education. Each participating 124
159	159	private occupational school shall make awards to students pursuant to 125
160	160	guidelines developed by said office and posted on its Internet web site 126
161	161	until such time as regulations are adopted by said office pursuant to the 127
162	162	provisions of subdivision (2) of section 10a-161. Each participating 128
163	163	institution of higher education and private occupational school shall 129
164	164	expend all of the moneys received under the Roberta B. Willis 130
165	165	Scholarship program as direct financial assistance only for eligible 131
166	166	educational costs. 132
167	167	(f) Participating institutions of higher education and private 133
168	168	occupational schools shall annually provide the Office of Higher 134
169	169	Education with data and reports on all Connecticut students who 135
170	170	applied for financial aid, including, but not limited to, students 136
171	171	receiving a Roberta B. Willis Scholarship grant, in a form and at a time 137
172	172	determined by said office. If an institution of higher education or private 138
173	173	occupational school fails to submit information to the Office of Higher 139
174	174	Education as directed, such institution or school shall be prohibited 140
175	175	from participating in the scholarship program in the fiscal year 141
176	176	following the fiscal year in which such institution or school failed to 142
177	177	submit such information. Each participating institution of higher 143
178	178	education and private occupational school shall maintain, for a period 144
179	179	of not less than three years, records substantiating the reported number 145
180	180	of Connecticut students and documentation utilized by the institution 146
181	181	of higher education and private occupational school in determining 147
182	182	eligibility of the student grant recipients. Such records shall be subject 148
183	183	to audit or review. Funds not obligated by an institution of higher 149
184	184	education or a private occupational school shall be returned by May first 150
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187	187	in the fiscal year the grant was made to the Office of Higher Education 151
188	188	for reallocation. Financial aid provided to Connecticut residents under 152
189	189	this program shall be designated as a grant from the Roberta B. Willis 153
190	190	Scholarship program. 154
191	191	(g) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Charter Oak grant shall be 155
192	192	available to any full-time or part-time undergraduate student enrolled 156
193	193	in Charter Oak State College. The Office of Higher Education shall 157
194	194	allocate any appropriation to Charter Oak State College to be used to 158
195	195	provide grants for eligible educational costs to residents of this state 159
196	196	who demonstrate substantial financial need and who are matriculated 160
197	197	in a degree program at Charter Oak State College. Individual awards 161
198	198	shall not exceed a student's calculated eligible educational costs. 162
199	199	Financial aid provided to Connecticut residents under this program 163
200	200	shall be designated as a grant from the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship 164
201	201	program. 165
202	202	(h) In administering the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program, the 166
203	203	Office of Higher Education shall develop and utilize fiscal procedures 167
204	204	designed to ensure accountability of the public funds expended. Such 168
205	205	procedures shall include provisions for compliance reviews that shall be 169
206	206	conducted by the Office of Higher Education on any institution of 170
207	207	higher education and private occupational school that participates in the 171
208	208	program. Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and 172
209	209	biennially thereafter, each such institution of higher education shall 173
210	210	submit the results of an audit done by an independent certified public 174
211	211	accountant for each year of participation in the program. Commencing 175
212	212	with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, and biennially thereafter, each 176
213	213	such private occupational school shall submit the results of an audit 177
214	214	done by an independent certified public accountant for each year of 178
215	215	participation in the program. Any institution of higher education or 179
216	216	private occupational school determined by the Office of Higher 180
217	217	Education not to be in substantial compliance with the provisions of the 181
218	218	Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program shall be ineligible to receive 182
219	219	funds under the program for the fiscal year following the fiscal year in 183
220	220	which the institution of higher education or private occupational school 184
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223	223	was determined not to be in substantial compliance. Funding shall be 185
224	224	restored when the Office of Higher Education determines that the 186
225	225	institution of higher education or private occupational school has 187
226	226	returned to substantial compliance. 188
227	227	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
228	228	sections:
229	229
230	230	Section 1 October 1, 2022 10a-173
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232	232	Statement of Purpose:
233	233	To expand the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program to students of
234	234	private occupational schools.
235	235	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
236	236	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
237	237	underlined.]
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