House File 117 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 117 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 3) A BILL FOR An Act establishing the national guard service professional 1 qualification scholarship program. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1397HV (1) 91 jda/jh
H.F. 117 Section 1. Section 256.210, subsection 6, paragraph a, Code 1 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. Notwithstanding section 8.33 , funds appropriated 3 for purposes of this section which remain unencumbered or 4 unobligated at the close of the fiscal year for which the funds 5 were appropriated shall not revert but shall be available for 6 expenditure for the following fiscal year upon the authority 7 of the adjutant general for purposes of this section , section 8 256.210A, and section 256.211 . 9 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 256.210A National guard service 10 professional qualification scholarship program. 11 1. A national guard service professional qualification 12 scholarship program is established to be administered by the 13 college student aid commission for members of the Iowa national 14 guard who are participating in an educational program leading 15 to a credential that is approved by the adjutant general and 16 offered by a community college, an institution of higher 17 learning under the state board of regents, or an accredited 18 private institution. The college student aid commission shall 19 adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section. 20 2. An individual is eligible for the national guard 21 service professional qualification scholarship program if the 22 individual meets all of the following conditions: 23 a. Is a resident of the state and a member of an Iowa army 24 or air national guard unit while receiving scholarship award 25 payments issued pursuant to this section. 26 b. Satisfactorily completed required initial active duty 27 training. 28 c. Maintains satisfactory performance of duty upon return 29 from initial active duty training. 30 d. Is enrolled in an educational program that has been 31 approved by the adjutant general and is offered by a community 32 college as defined in section 260C.2, an institution of higher 33 learning under the control of the board of regents, or an 34 accredited private institution as defined in section 256.183. 35 -1- LSB 1397HV (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 4
H.F. 117 e. Is maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward a 1 credential. 2 f. Provides proper notice of national guard status to the 3 community college or institution at the time of registration 4 for the term in which program benefits are sought. 5 g. Completes and submits application forms required by the 6 commission 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 shall 10 determine eligibility and whose determination 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 3. 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 available for, or 20 appropriated in, a fiscal year for purposes of this section 21 is insufficient to provide scholarships to all national guard 22 members who apply for the program and who are verified by the 23 adjutant general to be eligible for the program, the adjutant 24 general shall, in coordination with the college student aid 25 commission, determine the distribution of scholarships. 26 4. The eligibility of applicants and scholarship award 27 amounts to be paid shall be certified by the adjutant general 28 to the college student aid commission, and all amounts that 29 are or become due to a community college, accredited private 30 institution, or institution of higher learning under the 31 control of the state board of regents under this section shall 32 be paid to the college or institution by the college student 33 aid commission upon receipt of certification by the president 34 or governing board of the educational institution as to 35 -2- LSB 1397HV (1) 91 jda/jh 2/ 4
H.F. 117 accuracy of charges made, and as to the attendance and academic 1 progress of the individual at the educational institution. 2 The college student aid commission shall maintain an annual 3 record of the number of participants and the dollar value of 4 the awards issued. 5 5. The adjutant general shall publish and maintain a list of 6 approved educational programs that are eligible for purposes of 7 this section. 8 6. The adjutant general has the authority under this section 9 to authorize the expenditure of unencumbered or unobligated 10 funds as described in section 256.210, subsection 6, for 11 purposes of this section. 12 7. For purposes of this section, credential means a 13 postsecondary certificate or other competency-based credential 14 that is not authorized for federal student aid under Tit. 15 IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. 16 Credential does not include an associate degree or any degree 17 beyond an associate degree. 18 EXPLANATION 19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 20 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 21 This bill establishes the national guard service 22 professional qualification scholarship program within 23 the college student aid commission. The program provides 24 scholarships to members of the Iowa national guard who are 25 participating in an educational program leading to a credential 26 that is approved by the adjutant general and offered by a 27 community college, an institution of higher learning under the 28 state board of regents, or an accredited private institution. 29 The bill requires the adjutant general to publish and maintain 30 a list of approved educational programs. The bill defines 31 credential to mean a postsecondary certificate or other 32 competency-based credential that is not authorized for federal 33 student aid, but does not include an associate degree or any 34 degree beyond an associate degree. The bill establishes 35 -3- LSB 1397HV (1) 91 jda/jh 3/ 4
H.F. 117 eligibility criteria for the program. 1 The bill provides that scholarship awards paid pursuant to 2 the program shall not exceed the total cost charged by the 3 institution attended by the national guard member for the 4 educational program. 5 The bill provides that the eligibility of applicants and 6 scholarship award amounts to be paid shall be certified by the 7 adjutant general to the college student aid commission, and 8 all amounts that are or become due to a community college, 9 accredited private institution, or institution of higher 10 learning under the control of the state board of regents under 11 the program shall be paid to the college or institution by the 12 college student aid commission upon receipt of certification by 13 the president or governing board of the educational institution 14 as to accuracy of charges made, and as to the attendance 15 and academic progress of the individual at the educational 16 institution. 17 The bill authorizes the adjutant general to expend funds 18 appropriated for purposes of the national guard service 19 scholarship program, established in Code section 256.210, which 20 remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal 21 year for which the funds were appropriated in the following 22 fiscal year for purposes of the national guard service 23 professional qualification scholarship program. 24 -4- LSB 1397HV (1) 91 jda/jh 4/ 4