House File 2323 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2323 BY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 556) A BILL FOR An Act modifying provisions related to the national guard 1 service scholarship program and establishing the national 2 guard service continuing education scholarship program. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5455HV (1) 90 jda/jh
H.F. 2323 DIVISION I 1 NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 2 Section 1. Section 256.210, subsection 2, Code 2024, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 2. a. Scholarship Subject to paragraph b , scholarship 5 awards paid pursuant to this section shall not exceed the 6 resident tuition rate established for institutions of higher 7 learning under the control of the state board of regents . 8 If the amount appropriated in a fiscal year for purposes of 9 this section is insufficient to provide scholarships to all 10 national guard members who apply for the program and who are 11 determined by the adjutant general to be eligible for the 12 program, the adjutant general shall, in coordination with 13 the commission, determine the distribution of scholarships. 14 However, scholarship awards paid pursuant to this section and 15 shall not be less than fifty percent of the resident tuition 16 rate established for institutions of higher learning under 17 the control of the state board of regents or fifty percent of 18 the tuition rate at the institution attended by the national 19 guard member, whichever is lower. Neither eligibility nor 20 scholarship award determinations shall be based upon a national 21 guard members unit, the location at which drills are attended, 22 or whether the eligible individual is a member of the Iowa army 23 or air national guard. 24 b. Notwithstanding paragraph a , scholarship awards paid 25 pursuant to this section shall not exceed the difference 26 between the tuition rate at the institution attended by the 27 national guard member less any financial aid the national guard 28 member receives under 10 U.S.C. 2007. 29 c. If the amount appropriated in a fiscal year for purposes 30 of this section is insufficient to provide scholarships to 31 all national guard members who apply for the program and who 32 are determined by the adjutant general to be eligible for the 33 program, the adjutant general shall, in coordination with the 34 commission, determine the distribution of scholarships. 35 -1- LSB 5455HV (1) 90 jda/jh 1/ 6
H.F. 2323 d. Neither eligibility nor scholarship award determinations 1 shall be based upon a national guard members unit, the 2 location at which drills are attended, or whether the eligible 3 individual is a member of the Iowa army or air national guard. 4 DIVISION II 5 NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE CONTINUING EDUCATION SUPPORT PROGRAM 6 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 256.210A National guard service 7 continuing education scholarship program. 8 1. A national guard service continuing education 9 scholarship program is established to be administered by the 10 college student aid commission for members of the Iowa national 11 guard who are participating in an educational program leading 12 to a credential that is approved by the adjutant general and 13 offered by a community college, an institution of higher 14 learning under the state board of regents, or an accredited 15 private institution. The college student aid commission shall 16 adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section. 17 An individual is eligible for the national guard service 18 continuing education scholarship program if the individual 19 meets all of the following conditions: 20 a. Is a resident of the state and a member of an Iowa army 21 or air national guard unit while receiving scholarship award 22 payments issued pursuant to this section. 23 b. Satisfactorily completed required initial active duty 24 training. 25 c. Maintains satisfactory performance of duty upon return 26 from initial active duty training, including attending a 27 minimum ninety percent of scheduled drill dates and attending 28 annual training. 29 d. Is enrolled in an educational program that has been 30 approved by the adjutant general and is offered by a community 31 college as defined in section 260C.2, an institution of higher 32 learning under the control of the board of regents, or an 33 accredited private institution as defined in section 256.183. 34 e. Is maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward a 35 -2- LSB 5455HV (1) 90 jda/jh 2/ 6
H.F. 2323 credential. 1 f. Provides proper notice of national guard status to the 2 community college or institution at the time of registration 3 for the term in which program benefits are sought. 4 g. Completes and submits application forms required by 5 the commission, including the free application for federal 6 student aid, and applies for all nonrepayable state and federal 7 financial aid for which the member is eligible. 8 h. Submits an application to the adjutant general of 9 Iowa, on forms prescribed by the adjutant general, who 10 shall determine eligibility and whose decision is final. 11 Notwithstanding any deadline established for the administration 12 of this paragraph, the adjutant general shall accept an 13 application submitted pursuant to this paragraph from an 14 otherwise eligible member of the national guard who was on 15 federal active duty at the time of such deadline. 16 2. Scholarship awards paid pursuant to this section shall 17 not exceed the total cost charged by the institution attended 18 by the national guard member for the educational program 19 leading to a credential. If the amount appropriated in a 20 fiscal year for purposes of this section is insufficient to 21 provide scholarships to all national guard members who apply 22 for the program and who are determined by the adjutant general 23 to be eligible for the program, the adjutant general shall, in 24 coordination with the college student aid commission, determine 25 the distribution of scholarships. Neither eligibility nor 26 scholarship award determinations shall be based upon a national 27 guard members unit, the location at which drills are attended, 28 or whether the eligible individual is a member of the Iowa army 29 or air national guard. 30 3. The eligibility of applicants and scholarship award 31 amounts to be paid shall be certified by the adjutant general 32 of Iowa to the college student aid commission, and all amounts 33 that are or become due to a community college, accredited 34 private institution, or institution of higher learning under 35 -3- LSB 5455HV (1) 90 jda/jh 3/ 6
H.F. 2323 the control of the state board of regents under this section 1 shall be paid to the college or institution by the college 2 student aid commission upon receipt of certification by the 3 president or governing board of the educational institution 4 as to accuracy of charges made, and as to the attendance 5 and academic progress of the individual at the educational 6 institution. The college student aid commission shall maintain 7 an annual record of the number of participants and the dollar 8 value of the awards issued. 9 4. The adjutant general shall publish and maintain a list of 10 approved educational programs that are eligible for purposes of 11 this section. 12 5. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated 13 for purposes of this section which remain unencumbered 14 or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year for which 15 the moneys were appropriated shall not revert but shall be 16 available for expenditure for the purposes designated upon the 17 authority of the adjutant general. 18 6. For purposes of this section, credential means a 19 postsecondary certificate or other competency-based credential. 20 Credential does not include an associate degree or any degree 21 beyond an associate degree. 22 EXPLANATION 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 24 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 25 This bill modifies provisions related to the national guard 26 service scholarship program and establishes the national guard 27 service continuing education scholarship program. 28 DIVISION I NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 29 The national guard service scholarship program, administered by 30 the college student aid commission, provides annual awards to 31 Iowa national guard members who attend eligible Iowa colleges 32 and universities. Current law provides that scholarship awards 33 under the program shall not exceed the resident tuition rate 34 established for institutions of higher learning under the 35 -4- LSB 5455HV (1) 90 jda/jh 4/ 6
H.F. 2323 control of the state board of regents. The bill provides that 1 the amount of the scholarship awards also shall not exceed 2 the difference between the tuition rate at the institution 3 attended by the national guard member less any financial aid 4 the national guard member receives under certain specified 5 federal programs. 6 DIVISION II NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE CONTINUING EDUCATION 7 SUPPORT PROGRAM. The bill establishes the national guard 8 service continuing education scholarship program within 9 the college student aid commission. The program provides 10 scholarships to members of the Iowa national guard who are 11 participating in an educational program leading to a credential 12 that is approved by the adjutant general and offered by a 13 community college, an institution of higher learning under the 14 state board of regents, or an accredited private institution. 15 The bill requires the adjutant general to publish and maintain 16 a list of approved educational programs. The bill defines 17 credential to mean a postsecondary certificate or other 18 competency-based credential, but does not include an associate 19 degree or any degree beyond an associate degree. The bill 20 establishes eligibility criteria for the program. 21 The bill provides that scholarship awards paid pursuant to 22 the program shall not exceed the total cost charged by the 23 institution attended by the national guard member for the 24 educational program. The bill also provides that neither 25 eligibility nor scholarship award determinations shall be based 26 upon a national guard members unit, the location at which 27 drills are attended, or whether the eligible individual is a 28 member of the Iowa army or air national guard. 29 The bill provides that the eligibility of applicants and 30 scholarship award amounts to be paid shall be certified by the 31 adjutant general of Iowa to the college student aid commission, 32 and all amounts that are or become due to a community college, 33 accredited private institution, or institution of higher 34 learning under the control of the state board of regents under 35 -5- LSB 5455HV (1) 90 jda/jh 5/ 6
H.F. 2323 the program shall be paid to the college or institution by the 1 college student aid commission upon receipt of certification by 2 the president or governing board of the educational institution 3 as to accuracy of charges made, and as to the attendance 4 and academic progress of the individual at the educational 5 institution. 6 The bill establishes that moneys appropriated for purposes 7 of the program which remain unencumbered or unobligated at 8 the close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall be 9 available for expenditure for the purposes designated upon the 10 authority of the adjutant general. 11 -6- LSB 5455HV (1) 90 jda/jh 6/ 6