Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
03/16/2022 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB108 | |
| HB48 | |
| SB198 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 173 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 335 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 108 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 48 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 350 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 198 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 48-AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP; ELIGIBILITY
[Contains discussion of HB 108.]
9:02:15 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the next order of business would
be SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 48, "An Act relating to
the Alaska performance scholarship program."
CO-CHAIR STORY passed the gavel to Co-Chair Drummond.
9:02:38 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND noted that public testimony had been left open
from a previous hearing, and, after ascertaining there was no
one who wished to testify, she closed public testimony on SSHB
48.
9:03:34 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY, as prime sponsor of SSHB 48, provided a review
of the legislation. She stated that the legislation would make
the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) available to more high
school students, helping to meet the state's goal of retaining
young talent in its workforce. She stated that the amendment
before the committee is the result of recommendations from a
program review which occurs every ten years by the McKinley
Research Group. She stated that the suggested changes are as
follows: create courses for career and technical education;
remove college entry exams; increase award amounts; extend the
scholarship to eight years; and give juniors access to
information to keep them on track to receive scholarships.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND noted that the Higher Education Investment
Fund does not exist at this time. She stated that this is
difficult for students, as this fund's investments have
generated the money for their scholarships. She stated that the
committee needs to move forward and be prepared, as there is
another bill in another process which seeks to recapitalize that
fund.
9:06:26 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS moved to adopt Amendment 1, labeled 32-
LS0315\G.1, Marx, 3/9/2022, which read as follows:
Page 1, line 7:
Delete "six"
Insert "12 [SIX]"
Page 1, line 9, following "completed":
Insert "or is enrolled in"
Page 2, line 9, following "language;":
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"(4) has a minimum grade-point average in
high school of 2.5 or higher; the department shall set
by regulation minimum requirements based on a
substantially similar standard for districts that do
not assign grades [;
(5) HAS ACHIEVED A MINIMUM SCORE ON A
(A) COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION; OR
(B) STANDARDIZED EXAMINATION DESIGNED TO
MEASURE A STUDENT'S LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS TO MAKE THE
TRANSITION TO WORK, AS SELECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT; AND
(6) IS ENROLLED IN GOOD STANDING IN A
COURSE OF STUDY AT A QUALIFIED POSTSECONDARY
INSTITUTION IN THIS STATE THAT IS INTENDED TO RESULT
IN THE AWARD OF A CERTIFICATE OR DEGREE]."
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Insert "new subsections"
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Insert new subsections to read:
"(i) Not later than September 30 of each year,
the commission shall notify each applicant awarded a
scholarship under (a) of this section that the
applicant has been awarded an Alaska performance
scholarship. The notice must
(1) identify the Alaska performance
scholarship level awarded as described in
AS 14.43.825(a); and
(2) inform the applicant that
(A) the commission may disburse the award
only if the applicant meets the requirements described
in (k) of this section; and
(B) the commission will adjust the
applicant's award under the circumstances described in
(j) of this section.
(j) If, at the time an applicant awarded an
Alaska performance scholarship graduates from high
school, the applicant's grade-point average differs
from the grade-point average on which the commission
based the applicant's award, the commission shall
adjust the applicant's award in accordance with the
applicable Alaska performance scholarship level
described in AS 14.43.825(a).
(k) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, and
except as provided in (c) of this section, the
commission may disburse an Alaska performance
scholarship awarded to an applicant under this section
only if the applicant
(1) has, at the time of the applicant's
graduation from high school,
(A) completed the core academic curriculum
of high school level coursework described in (a)(3) of
this section; and
(B) met the minimum grade-point average in
high school described in (a)(4) of this section; and
(2) is enrolled in good standing in a
course of study at a qualified postsecondary
institution in this state that is intended to result
in the award of a certificate or degree."
9:06:30 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND objected for the purpose of discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS stated that the amendment is by request
of the bill sponsor and the result of recommendations from the
McKinley Research Group. He stated that the amendment would
move up the date of issuance of APS and would inform students
sooner of their qualification status for the scholarship. This
would allow the students to know which financial package would
be available to them before choosing postsecondary education.
CO-CHAIR STORY added that currently students would not know
until the end of their senior year if they would receive the
scholarship. She stated that this change would also prevent
students from discovering, after the fact, they had not taken
the correct curriculum to receive the award. With this change
students would be able to adjust their classes in their senior
year and maintain their grade point average (GPA) to meet the
criteria. She stated that this would allow students to make
decisions earlier about postsecondary education.
9:10:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GILLHAM, reflecting on HB 108, suggested that the
APS issuance date could be moved up even more, so then the
funding would be put towards CTE in high school. The students'
records could be reviewed in the sixth to eighth grades to see
if they qualify for the scholarship. He conjectured that making
the scholarship program eligibly even sooner, the fiscal notes
for HB 108 could be dropped.
9:11:39 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY indicated that APS requires a strict curriculum,
so this would require a discussion to determine how [HB 108 and
SSHB 48] would fit together. She stated that the APS program is
very prescriptive, but it does allow students to take some CTE
classes. She said that students could use the scholarship to go
towards technical programs, and, as HB 108 adds the work
experience with the training, [the two pieces of legislation]
could complement each other.
9:12:47 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND expressed the opinion that Representative
Gillham's idea is "brilliant." She added that APS is designed
for high school, but to begin in middle school would be a great
idea. She expressed the belief that students tend to decide
what they want to do around third grade. She referenced the
Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program at the University
of Alaska. She stated that the [accelerated] program brings in
high school students from rural communities, who often graduate
as engineers with dual credits and more. She stated that the
professor working with the program learned that, to excite
students and start them in the right classes, they would need to
begin in the sixth grade. She stated that this type of program
could be adapted for career technology. She noted that, at the
governor's request, the bill would have a substantial fiscal
note of $7.15 million. She stated that now APS is coming out of
the general fund, and it is not earning interest. She asserted
that, because there was no reverse sweep, the fund now earns
around 1 to 2 percent compared with historical earnings of 8 to
12 percent. Referencing the fiscal note and the Office of
Management and Budget component 2990, she stated that the
legislation would call for $15.2 million per year in
scholarships in the out years. This amount reflects an increase
in the size of the award to match tuition rates in state
schools. She stated that [Representative Gillham's idea] is
worth discussing, but it would require restructuring middle
schools around the state.
9:15:45 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY interjected that, as of mid-January, the Higher
Education Investment Fund had not been liquidated and is still
earning higher interest rates. She expressed hope that the
legislature would keep the fund intact and put the estimated
$400 million back. She stated that the Department of Revenue
has delayed the liquidation of the fund because the fund's
return was around 38 percent last year. She stated that the
fund would pay for the entire fiscal note that is in front of
the committee and has been self-supporting APS. Based on
recommendations of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary
Education, a $7,000 scholarship award [per student, per year]
would be a self-sustaining amount. She said, if the Higher
Education Investment Fund has not been swept yet, funding for
several programs would not have to come out of the general fund.
She stated that Representative Josephson is sponsoring a bill to
clarify that the House of Representatives and the Senate would
both be in support of retaining the fund.
9:17:40 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GILLHAM, alluding to Co-Chair Drummond's earlier
comment, stated that the state has an excess to spend this year,
but he is more interested in funding the state's workforce 10
years from now. He suggested that creating interest in middle
school would lead students to be involved with a CTE program by
the ninth grade. He stated that a constituent has expressed to
him that CTE is needed because youth are learning computers but
cannot build an outhouse.
CO-CHAIR STORY stated that students would get credit for CTE
classes as part of APS. She added that a study by the Alaska
Commission on Postsecondary Education shows that students who
receive APS have higher completion rates and tend to stay in the
state for careers, of which is the goal of the program. She
expressed hope that the Higher Education Investment Fund would
be put into law, retaining a future funding mechanism for the
program.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND stated that, in addition to APS, the Higher
Education Investment Fund has provided about $8 million a year
for the Alaska Education Grant program. She explained that APS
is a performance-based [scholarship], while the Alaska Education
Grant program is a needs-based [grant]. She added that the
grant can be used anywhere in the state for postsecondary
instruction in any field, including hair technology, carpentry,
and university courses. She said that the Alaska Education
Grant program now pulls from the general fund.
9:21:56 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY responded to Representative Prax that the
[University of Alaska] would receive the scholarship money as
long as the student was enrolled in classes. She stated that
the scholarship's availability for students would be increased
to eight years because the McKinley Research Group's study
related that nontraditional students in Alaska tend to take a
gap year to work and then resume classes. It was conveyed that
Representative Prax's comments were not speaking to the
amendment and would be deferred.
9:23:37 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND withdrew her objection to the motion to adopt
Amendment 1. There being no further objection, Amendment 1 was
adopted.
9:24:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX expressed the understanding that the
legislation would extend the scholarship eligibility eight
years. He voiced the concern that this would create a greater
risk for students to change their mind and not graduate.
CO-CHAIR STORY responded that the extension would not be eight
years, but eight total semesters, and the student would have to
be on track to use the award. She offered that there would be
safeguards in the bill, and a student would have to maintain a
certain GPA and take a required number of credits per semester.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX suggested that if a student enrolled in the
university with no career direction and did not finish, the
scholarship would have been wasted. He questioned whether a
student would have to pay back the money if the student dropped
out after two years.
CO-CHAIR STORY responded that scholarship money would not be
paid back. She stated the belief that whatever education people
receive serves them well.
9:27:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK expressed appreciation for the extension.
He commented that there are "bumps" in life, so the eight-year
extension is understandable. He questioned whether, if a
student waits five years before attending university, he/she
would have only three years to use the scholarship.
CO-CHAIR STORY stated that the student would have eight years,
and if his/her education extended to one more year, the student
may have to pay more of the tuition.
9:28:34 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 9:28 a.m. to 9:32 a.m.
9:32:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY moved to report SSHB 48, as amended, out
of committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSSSHB
48(EDC) was reported out of the House Education Standing
Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 48 FN ACPE, Admin Op.pdf |
HEDC 3/16/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 48 |
| HB 48 FN AEG.pdf |
HEDC 3/16/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 48 |
| HB 48 FN APS Awards.pdf |
HEDC 3/16/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 48 |
| HB 147 Invited Testimony - Arnaucuaq.pdf |
HEDC 3/16/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 147 |
| HB 48 FN Ed Support and Admin.pdf |
HEDC 3/16/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 48 |
| HB 147 Invited Testimony - Hankins, LKSD.pdf |
HEDC 3/16/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 147 |
| HB 350 Sponsor Statement Ver. 2.pdf |
HEDC 3/16/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 350 |
| HB 312 support 031522.pdf |
HEDC 3/16/2022 8:00:00 AM HL&C 4/4/2022 3:15:00 PM |
HB 312 |