CSSB 10(FIN) am: "An Act establishing a grant program to provide to essential workers and laid-off workers the tuition and fees to attend certain postsecondary institutions."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 10(FIN) am 01 "An Act establishing a grant program to provide to essential workers and laid-off 02 workers the tuition and fees to attend certain postsecondary institutions." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 05 to read: 06 ESSENTIAL WORKER AND LAID-OFF WORKER GRANT PROGRAM. (a) 07 Subject to appropriation, the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education shall award a 08 grant in an amount equal to the recipient's cost of annual tuition and fees at a postsecondary 09 institution qualified under AS 14.43.830 to a person who 10 (1) applies not later than December 31, 2021, on a form provided by the 11 commission; 12 (2) was 13 (A) employed as an essential worker in the state when the 14 federal government declared a public health emergency on January 31, 2020;
01 or 02 (B) temporarily or permanently laid off in the state as a direct 03 consequence of the public health emergency declared by the federal 04 government on January 31, 2020; 05 (3) is enrolled or about to be enrolled at a postsecondary institution qualified 06 under AS 14.43.830 as a half-time or full-time student; 07 (4) has been a resident of the state for at least 12 months; 08 (5) has received, or will receive within six months after applying for a grant 09 under this section, a high school diploma or general educational development certificate; 10 (6) has earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher in high 11 school or has otherwise demonstrated an equivalent academic ability, as specified by the 12 commission in regulation; 13 (7) has completed and submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 14 for each academic year, if eligible, and accepted all state and federal aid grants available to 15 the person; and 16 (8) has not completed more than a total of 90 credit hours, or the equivalent, at 17 a postsecondary institution. 18 (b) A recipient of a grant under this section is eligible to receive a grant for another 19 term if the person 20 (1) maintains a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher during each 21 term for which the person has received a grant under this section, unless waived in accordance 22 with regulations adopted by the commission; 23 (2) makes satisfactory progress toward a curriculum, degree, or program, as 24 specified by the commission in regulation; 25 (3) maintains enrollment as a half-time or full-time student; and 26 (4) has not completed the curriculum, degree, or program at a postsecondary 27 institution for which the recipient received a grant for the previous term. 28 (c) The commission shall 29 (1) establish an application process for participation in the program; 30 (2) implement policies that improve the academic success or completion rates 31 of students who receive a grant under this section;
01 (3) evaluate the effects of the grant program for the purpose of preparing the 02 report required under sec. 2 of this Act. 03 (d) The total amount of grants awarded under this section may not exceed $2,500,000 04 in a fiscal year. If the amount appropriated in a fiscal year is insufficient to meet the amounts 05 awarded under (a) and (b) of this section, the commission shall prioritize payment of grants 06 based on need according to the expected family contribution reported on each applicant's Free 07 Application for Federal Student Aid. 08 (e) The commission shall consult with the Department of Health and Social Services, 09 review the Alaska Essential Services and Critical Workforce Infrastructure Order, as amended 10 on April 10, 2020, and determine the specific employment that qualifies as essential under 11 (a)(2)(A) of this section. 12 (f) The commission may adopt regulations necessary to implement this section. 13 (g) In this section, 14 (1) "commission" means the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education; 15 (2) "full-time student" means an undergraduate or career education student 16 who enrolls in and regularly attends classes for at least 12 semester hours of credit or the 17 equivalent during the semester; any combination of semester hours of credit, or the 18 equivalent, aggregating to the requisite number of semester hours and undertaken during a 19 semester at two or more postsecondary institutions qualified under AS 14.43.830 constitutes 20 full-time student status; 21 (3) "half-time student" means 22 (A) an undergraduate or career education student who, during the 23 semester, enrolls in and regularly attends classes at one or more postsecondary 24 institutions qualified under AS 14.43.830 for six to 11 semester credit hours or an 25 equivalent of six to 11 semester credit hours; or 26 (B) a career education student who enrolls in and regularly attends 27 classes for 15 hours a week. 28 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 29 read: 30 ESSENTIAL WORKER AND LAID-OFF WORKER GRANT PROGRAM 31 REPORT. On or before December 31 of each calendar year, the Alaska Commission on
01 Postsecondary Education shall submit a report to the senate secretary and chief clerk of the 02 house of representatives and notify the legislature that the report is available. The report must 03 include 04 (1) student completion rates of the curricula, degrees, and programs described 05 in sec. 1(b)(2) of this Act; 06 (2) the amount of federal aid awarded to grant recipients under sec. 1 of this 07 Act; 08 (3) the effects of the grant program on the enrollment and finances of state- 09 supported postsecondary educational institutions; 10 (4) the overall success rate and financial effects of the grant program. 11 * Sec. 3. Section 1 of this Act is repealed June 30, 2025. 12 * Sec. 4. Section 2 of this Act is repealed June 30, 2026.