A bill for an act modifying provisions related to the national guard service scholarship program.(See HF 118.)
Impact
This change is expected to enhance the financial assistance available to members of the National Guard, promoting access to higher education. By tying scholarship amounts more closely to actual tuition costs minus federal aid, the bill seeks to ensure that scholarships effectively cover educational expenses without unnecessary excess allocations. It reflects an intention to provide targeted assistance to guard members pursuing higher education, ensuring that more eligible individuals can benefit from the program as it adapts to meet current financial realities.
Summary
House Study Bill 4 proposes modifications to the national guard service scholarship program in Iowa. The bill aims to adjust the current scholarship awards provided to Iowa national guard members attending eligible colleges and universities. Presently, the scholarship amount is capped at the resident tuition rate. This bill outlines that the scholarship award will now be limited to the difference between the tuition at the institution attended and any federal financial aid received, creating a more nuanced funding structure for scholarship recipients.
Contention
Notably, the bill removes a provision concerning eligibility and scholarship award determinations, which previously stated that these decisions would not consider the guard member's unit or the location of their drills. This alteration could be contentious, as it may introduce variances in how scholarships are awarded based on the member's service location or unit affiliation. Stakeholders may express differing views about whether such criteria should influence scholarship access, raising potential debates over fairness and equality in scholarship distribution.
Replaced by
A bill for an act modifying provisions related to the national guard service scholarship program. (Formerly HSB 4.) Effective date: 07/01/2025.
To create the Alabama Fits All Scholarship Program; require the State Board of Education to contract with a program manager to administer the program; to authorize the program manager to establish scholarship accounts on behalf of eligible students; to prohibit a program manager from accepting scholarship funds in certain circumstances; to require fiscal safeguards and accountability measures; to require eligible schools and service providers to meet certain standards to be eligible to receive scholarship funds; to authorize the program manager to distribute scholarship funds; to require the State Board of Education to provide limited oversight of the program manager, including an appeal process for the program manager's administrative decisions; to prohibit certain regulations of eligible schools and eligible service providers; to require criminal history background information checks for employees and officers of a program manager; to provide for program funding; and to require the program manager and the board to submit reports on the program to the Legislature.