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Kansas Senate Bill SB378

Kansas 2023-2024 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB378 Compare Versions

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11 Session of 2024
22 SENATE BILL No. 378
33 By Senator Olson
44 1-23
55 AN ACT concerning postsecondary education; relating to the state board
66 of regents; making and concerning appropriations to the state board of
77 regents for fiscal year 2025; providing grants to community colleges,
88 technical colleges and the Washburn institute of technology for capital
99 improvements of trade program buildings and facilities and for repairs
1010 and purchases of trade program educational equipment and fixtures;
1111 establishing the Kansas trade service scholarship act to provide
1212 scholarships to students who enroll in certain trade programs; creating
1313 the Kansas trade service scholarship fund.
1414 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
1515 Section 1. 
1616 STATE BOARD OF REGENTS
1717 (a) There is appropriated for the above agency from the state general
1818 fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the following:
1919 Kansas trade service scholarship................................................$10,000,000
2020 Provided, That expenditures shall be made by the above agency from the
2121 Kansas trade service scholarship account to implement the provisions of
2222 sections 2 through 7, and amendments thereto.
2323 Trade program capital improvement grants...............................$10,010,000
2424 Provided, That expenditures shall be made by the above agency from the
2525 trade program capital improvement grants account for fiscal year 2025 to
2626 provide a grant to each community college and to each of the following
2727 technical colleges: Flint Hills technical college; Manhattan area technical
2828 college; north central Kansas technical college; Fort Hays state university;
2929 northwest Kansas technical college; Salina area technical college;
3030 Washburn institute of technology; and Wichita state university campus of
3131 applied sciences and technology; Provide further, That each such college
3232 shall receive a grant in an amount of $385,000 for capital improvements of
3333 trade program buildings and facilities and for repairs and purchases of
3434 trade program educational equipment and fixtures.
3535 Sec. 2. (a) Sections 2 through 7, and amendments thereto, shall be
3636 known and may be cited as the Kansas trade service scholarship act.
3737 (b) As used in the Kansas trade service scholarship act:
3838 (1) "Eligible postsecondary educational institution" means:
3939 (A) Any community college or technical college established under
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7676 the laws of this state;
7777 (B) the Washburn institute of technology; or
7878 (C) any not-for-profit institution of postsecondary education with its
7979 main campus or principal place of operation in Kansas that offers an
8080 eligible trade program, is operated independently and not controlled or
8181 administered by any state agency or subdivision of the state, maintains
8282 open enrollment and is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting
8383 agency for higher education in the United States.
8484 (2) "Eligible trade program" means any career and technical
8585 education certificate or stand-alone trade program offered by an eligible
8686 postsecondary educational institution that is approved by the state board of
8787 regents as an eligible trade program pursuant to section 3, and
8888 amendments thereto.
8989 (3) "Military servicemember" means the same as defined in K.S.A.
9090 2023 Supp. 48-3406, and amendments thereto.
9191 (4) "Part-time student" means a student who is enrolled for six credit
9292 hours or more in the fall, summer or spring semester and is not enrolled as
9393 a full-time student.
9494 Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established the Kansas trade service
9595 scholarship program. The state board of regents shall implement and
9696 administer the program.
9797 (b) On or before March 1, 2025, the state board of regents shall adopt
9898 rules and regulations to implement and administer the Kansas trade service
9999 scholarship program. Such rules and regulations shall establish:
100100 (1) A scholarship application process, including, but not limited to,
101101 accepting scholarship applications throughout the academic year and
102102 processing such applications in the order such applications were received;
103103 (2) appeal procedures for denial or revocation of a scholarship;
104104 (3) the terms, conditions and requirements that shall be incorporated
105105 into each scholarship agreement, which shall not be more stringent than
106106 the requirements provided in this act;
107107 (4) procedures for requesting and approving medical, military and
108108 personal absences from an eligible postsecondary educational institution
109109 while receiving a scholarship;
110110 (5) criteria for determining whether a student who received a Kansas
111111 trade service scholarship fulfilled the residency, employment and
112112 repayment requirements included in a scholarship agreement as provided
113113 in section 6, and amendments thereto; and
114114 (6) criteria for determining when a student who received scholarship
115115 may be released from the requirements of a scholarship, if there are special
116116 circumstances that caused such student to be unable to complete such
117117 requirements.
118118 (c) The state board of regents shall:
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162162 (1) Identify eligible trade programs offered by each eligible
163163 postsecondary educational institution in any of the following fields:
164164 (A) Agricultural business, industry and operations;
165165 (B) agriculture equipment and technology;
166166 (C) animal science;
167167 (D) land, pasture and crop management;
168168 (E) food processing, technology and safety;
169169 (F) aquaculture;
170170 (G) heating, ventilation and air conditioning;
171171 (H) plumbing;
172172 (I) electrical;
173173 (J) construction;
174174 (K) welding and fabrication;
175175 (L) automotive and diesel mechanics;
176176 (M) aerospace mechanics;
177177 (N) commercial driver's license training;
178178 (O) autoCAD drafting;
179179 (P) manufacturing technologies;
180180 (Q) machining;
181181 (R) masonry;
182182 (S) robotics, including drones;
183183 (T) electrical and telephone line worker;
184184 (U) railroad training;
185185 (V) carpentry;
186186 (W) major appliance technology; and
187187 (X) any other trade program offered by an eligible postsecondary
188188 educational institution that is approved by the board.
189189 (2) work with community partners, such as community foundations,
190190 school districts, postsecondary educational institutions, Kansas business
191191 and industry and Kansas economic development organizations to publicize
192192 Kansas trade service scholarships, including, but not limited to,
193193 publicizing eligible postsecondary educational institutions, approved
194194 scholarship-eligible programs, application procedures and application
195195 deadlines;
196196 (3) disburse funds to each eligible postsecondary educational
197197 institution for the purpose of awarding Kansas trade service scholarships;
198198 (4) accept electronic signatures as sufficient and valid on all forms
199199 and agreements required by the Kansas trade service scholarship act and
200200 any rules and regulations adopted thereunder;
201201 (5) enforce Kansas trade service scholarship agreements;
202202 (6) collect any moneys repaid by students pursuant to section 6, and
203203 amendments thereto;
204204 (7) determine whether students who received a Kansas trade service
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248248 scholarship fulfill the residency, employment and repayment requirements
249249 provided in section 6, and amendments thereto; and
250250 (8) annually evaluate the Kansas trade service scholarship act and
251251 prepare and submit a report to the senate standing committee on education
252252 and the house of representatives standing committee on education. Such
253253 report shall include, but not be limited to, the total program cost for each
254254 trade program at each eligible postsecondary educational institution, the
255255 amount of scholarship moneys awarded that went to each trade program,
256256 the number of credit hours paid for with scholarship moneys, the amount
257257 of scholarship moneys expected to be awarded to each institution for each
258258 semester, the number of scholarships awarded, the total amount of
259259 scholarship moneys awarded, the amount of scholarship moneys provided
260260 for tuition, fees, books and supplies and a review of the employment of
261261 scholarship recipients, including, but not limited to, employment fields and
262262 geographic location of such employment.
263263 (d) A student shall not be awarded a Kansas trade service scholarship
264264 if such student is awarded a Kansas promise scholarship pursuant to
265265 K.S.A. 74-32,271 et seq., and amendments thereto.
266266 Sec. 4. (a) Subject to appropriations, the amount of a Kansas trade
267267 service scholarship for a student for each academic year shall be
268268 determined as follows:
269269 (1) For a student enrolled in an eligible trade program offered by an
270270 eligible public postsecondary educational institution described in section
271271 2(b)(1)(A) or (B), and amendments thereto, the scholarship amount shall
272272 be the aggregate amount of tuition, required fees and the cost of books and
273273 required materials for the eligible trade program at the eligible
274274 postsecondary educational institution for the academic year in which the
275275 student is enrolled and receiving the scholarship minus the aggregate
276276 amount of all other aid awarded to such student for such academic year.
277277 (2) For a student enrolled in a eligible trade program offered by an
278278 eligible private postsecondary educational institution described in section
279279 2(b)(1)(C), and amendments thereto, the scholarship amount shall be the
280280 aggregate amount of tuition, required fees and the cost of books and
281281 materials for such program for the academic year in which the student is
282282 enrolled and receiving the scholarship minus the aggregate amount of all
283283 other aid awarded to such student for such academic year, except that a
284284 scholarship awarded pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed the
285285 average cost of tuition, required fees and the cost of books and required
286286 materials for such eligible trade program when offered by an eligible
287287 public postsecondary educational institution described in section 2(b)(1)
288288 (A) or (B), and amendments thereto.
289289 (b) Kansas trade service scholarships shall only be awarded to an
290290 eligible student whose family household income is equal to or less than:
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334334 (1) $100,000 for a family of one or two;
335335 (2) $150,000 for a family of three; or
336336 (3) for household sizes larger than that of a family of three, the family
337337 of three amount plus $4,800 for each additional family member.
338338 (c) (1) Kansas trade service scholarships shall be used only to pay for
339339 up to a total of 68 credit hours or a total of $20,000 in Kansas trade service
340340 scholarship awards, whichever is attained first, over the lifetime of the
341341 student who received the Kansas trade service scholarship regardless of
342342 the eligible postsecondary educational institution such student attended.
343343 (2) Kansas trade service scholarship awards shall not be used to fund:
344344 (A) Prerequisite classes required for an eligible trade program, unless
345345 such classes are a designated course within the eligible program; or
346346 (B) any remedial course, as defined in K.S.A. 76-7,151, and
347347 amendments thereto, unless such course is offered in a corequisite format.
348348 (d) The state board of regents shall disburse funds based on
349349 reimbursement requests from eligible postsecondary educational
350350 institutions. Reimbursement requests shall be based on the actual amount
351351 of Kansas trade service scholarship amounts awarded by an eligible
352352 postsecondary educational institution for the appropriate academic period.
353353 Any eligible postsecondary educational institution seeking reimbursement
354354 shall submit a reimbursement request to the state board of regents on or
355355 before September 1, December 1, March 1 and June 1 of each year. The
356356 state board of regents shall disburse the appropriate amount of funds to
357357 eligible postsecondary educational institutions on September 15,
358358 December 15, March 15 and June 15 of each year.
359359 (e) As used in this section, "aid" means any grant, scholarship or
360360 financial assistance awards that do not require repayment. "Aid" does not
361361 include any military financial educational benefits or any family
362362 postsecondary savings account or other qualified tuition program
363363 established pursuant to section 529 of the internal revenue code of 1986, as
364364 amended.
365365 Sec. 5. (a) To be eligible for a Kansas trade service scholarship, a
366366 student shall:
367367 (1) Be a United States citizen;
368368 (2) be a Kansas resident;
369369 (3) (A) have graduated from an accredited Kansas public or private
370370 secondary school within the preceding 12 months;
371371 (B) have completed the requirements for graduation at a non-
372372 accredited private secondary school as provided in K.S.A. 72-4345, and
373373 amendments thereto, within the preceding 12 months;
374374 (C) have attended an accredited Kansas public or private secondary
375375 school or non-accredited private school as provided in K.S.A. 72-4345,
376376 and amendments thereto, and obtained a high school equivalency
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420420 certificate within the preceding 12 months;
421421 (D) upon application for a scholarship, have been a resident of
422422 Kansas for three or more consecutive years as evidenced by the date of
423423 issuance on a Kansas-issued identification card or through Kansas voter
424424 registration records or Kansas income tax documentation;
425425 (E) be a dependent child of a military servicemember permanently
426426 stationed in another state and who has graduated, within the preceding 12
427427 months, from any out-of-state secondary school or obtained a high school
428428 equivalency certificate; or
429429 (F) have been in the custody of the secretary for children and families
430430 at any time such student was enrolled in and attending any of the grades
431431 nine through 12 and not eligible for assistance under the Kansas foster
432432 child educational assistance act, K.S.A. 75-53,111 et seq., and amendments
433433 thereto;
434434 (4) complete the required scholarship application on such forms and
435435 in such manner as established by the state board of regents;
436436 (5) enter into a Kansas trade service scholarship agreement pursuant
437437 to K.S.A. section 6, and amendments thereto;
438438 (6) complete the free application for federal student aid for the
439439 academic year in which the student applies to receive a Kansas trade
440440 service scholarship. Such submitted application shall be determined to be
441441 valid and free of error codes in order to calculate the amount of
442442 scholarship to be awarded; and
443443 (7) enroll in an eligible postsecondary educational institution in an
444444 eligible trade program.
445445 (b) To continue receiving a Kansas trade service scholarship, a
446446 student shall:
447447 (1) Maintain satisfactory academic progress, including a grade point
448448 average of 2.0 or higher, or the equivalent thereof, in the graded courses of
449449 the eligible trade program for which the student received a Kansas trade
450450 service scholarship; and
451451 (2) satisfy the requirements of a Kansas trade service scholarship
452452 agreement as provided in section 6, and amendments thereto.
453453 Sec. 6. (a) As a condition to receiving a Kansas trade service
454454 scholarship, an eligible student shall enter into a Kansas trade service
455455 scholarship agreement with the state board of regents. The eligible
456456 postsecondary educational institution providing the scholarship award to
457457 such student shall counsel each eligible student on the requirements and
458458 conditions of the scholarship agreement. Such agreement shall require any
459459 student who receives a Kansas trade service scholarship to:
460460 (1) Enroll as a full-time or part-time student at the eligible
461461 postsecondary educational institution from which the student is receiving a
462462 Kansas trade service scholarship and engage in and complete the eligible
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506506 trade program within 36 months of the date the scholarship was first
507507 awarded;
508508 (2) within six months after graduation or completion of the eligible
509509 trade program:
510510 (A) Reside and commence work in the state of Kansas for at least two
511511 consecutive years following completion of such program. A scholarship
512512 recipient may use a W-2 wage and tax statement showing Kansas
513513 withholding or estimated income tax to the state of Kansas as proof of
514514 work in Kansas; or
515515 (B) enroll as a full-time or part-time student in any public or private
516516 postsecondary educational institution with its primary location in Kansas
517517 and upon graduation or failure to re-enroll, reside and commence work in
518518 Kansas for at least two consecutive years following the completion of such
519519 program;
520520 (3) maintain records and make reports to the state board of regents on
521521 such forms and in such manner as required by the state board of regents to
522522 document the satisfaction of the requirements of this act; and
523523 (4) upon failure to satisfy the requirements of a Kansas trade service
524524 scholarship agreement, repay the amount of the Kansas trade service
525525 scholarship that the student received under the program, as provided in
526526 subsection (b), to the state board of regents.
527527 (b) (1) Except as provided in subsection (c), if any student who
528528 receives a Kansas trade service scholarship fails to satisfy the requirements
529529 of a scholarship agreement, such student shall pay an amount equal to the
530530 total amount of moneys received by such student pursuant to such
531531 agreement and financed by the state of Kansas plus accrued interest at a
532532 rate equivalent to the interest rate applicable to loans made under the
533533 federal PLUS program when such student's first course funded by a
534534 Kansas trade service scholarship award began. Interest shall begin
535535 accruing on the date the student is determined to be out of compliance with
536536 the Kansas trade service scholarship agreement. Monthly installment
537537 payments of such amounts may be made in accordance with rules and
538538 regulations of the state board of regents. Such installment payments shall
539539 begin six months after the date of the action or circumstances that caused
540540 such student to fail to satisfy the requirements of a scholarship agreement,
541541 as determined by the state board of regents based on the circumstances of
542542 each individual case. All moneys received pursuant to this subsection shall
543543 be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of
544544 K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such
545545 remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state
546546 treasury to the credit of the Kansas trade service scholarship fund.
547547 (2) The state board of regents shall be the sole entity responsible for
548548 collecting or recouping any Kansas trade service scholarship funds
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592592 required to be repaid by a student who fails to satisfy the requirements of a
593593 scholarship agreement pursuant to this section.
594594 (3) The state board of regents is authorized to submit any repayment
595595 account arising under this act to a designated loan servicer or collection
596596 agency that shall collect on the state board's behalf.
597597 (4) Each postsecondary educational institution and state agency is
598598 authorized to provide academic, employment, residency and contact
599599 information regarding students who received a Kansas trade service
600600 scholarship to the state board of regents for the purposes of:
601601 (A) Determining whether or not a student satisfied the requirements
602602 of a scholarship agreement; and
603603 (B) aiding in the collection or recoupment of any funds required to be
604604 repaid pursuant to this section.
605605 (5) An eligible postsecondary educational institution shall:
606606 (A) Provide annually to the state board of regents the last known
607607 contact information of each student who received a Kansas trade service
608608 scholarship until the requirements of the scholarship agreement are
609609 complete; and
610610 (B) notify the state board of regents when a student who received a
611611 Kansas trade service scholarship:
612612 (i) Completes the eligible trade program for which the student
613613 received the scholarship or has exhausted scholarship benefits; and
614614 (ii) exceeds the 36-month completion requirement.
615615 (6) Eligible postsecondary educational institutions shall not be
616616 considered a contractor of the state nor shall such institutions be required
617617 to participate in tracking, collecting or recouping any funds required to be
618618 repaid by a student who fails to satisfy the requirements of a Kansas trade
619619 service scholarship agreement pursuant to this section.
620620 (c) Any requirement of a Kansas trade service scholarship agreement
621621 entered into pursuant to this section may be postponed for good cause
622622 shown in accordance with rules and regulations of the state board of
623623 regents.
624624 (d) A scholarship recipient satisfies the requirements of the Kansas
625625 trade service scholarship act if such recipient:
626626 (1) Completes the requirements of the scholarship agreement;
627627 (2) commences service as a military servicemember after receiving a
628628 Kansas trade service scholarship;
629629 (3) fails to satisfy the requirements after making the best possible
630630 effort to do so as determined by the state board of regents;
631631 (4) is unable to obtain employment or continue in employment after
632632 making the best possible effort to do so; or
633633 (5) is unable to satisfy the requirements due to disability or death of
634634 the scholarship recipient.
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678678 Sec. 7. There is hereby created in the state treasury the Kansas trade
679679 service scholarship fund, which shall be administered by the state board of
680680 regents. All expenditures from the Kansas trade service scholarship fund
681681 shall be for scholarships awarded pursuant to the Kansas trade service
682682 scholarship act. All expenditures from the Kansas trade service scholarship
683683 fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of
684684 the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved
685685 by the executive officer of the state board of regents or the designee of the
686686 executive officer. All moneys received by the board for the Kansas trade
687687 service scholarship act shall be deposited in the state treasury in
688688 accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments
689689 thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall
690690 deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the Kansas
691691 trade service scholarship fund.
692692 Sec. 8. Sections 2 through 7, and amendments thereto, shall expire on
693693 July 1, 2027.
694694 Sec. 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
695695 publication in the statute book.
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