Legislature(2009 - 2010)BELTZ 211
02/11/2009 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB33 | |
| Overview: Bring the Kids Home | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 33 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 33-POSTSECONDARY SCHOLARSHIPS
8:03:41 AM
CHAIR ELTON announced consideration of SB 33.
8:04:08 AM
SENATOR STEVENS moved to adopt Amendment 1.
CHAIR ELTON explained that Amendment 1 inserts the words "or the
United States Department of Education" on page 3, line 31; it
has the effect of expanding eligibility to institutions that are
not covered under the current language in the bill.
8:05:06 AM
NICK MOE, aid to Senator Ellis, said they proposed this
amendment because it was not their intent to leave out any
vocational, postsecondary institutions in Alaska; by choosing
only one accreditation they were leaving out the Career Academy
and the Alaska Vocational/Technical Center in Seward. Senator
Ellis feels strongly that vocational schools are a very
important part of education in Alaska and should be included in
this scholarship grant.
SENATOR OLSON asked if private vocational/technical schools are
included as well.
MR. MOE responded that if the schools come under the
accreditation of the United States Department of Education, they
are included.
SENATOR OLSON queried, "So you don't know if the private
institutions are indeed covered at this time?"
MR. MOE said the current list contains the names of all of the
institutions legislative research provided to him as
institutions included in the grant; he believes that no others
are included at this time.
SENATOR DAVIS asked if the Career Academy, which is on the list,
is considered private. If so, she suggested they make a
clarifying change in the language.
8:07:49 AM
CHAIR ELTON asked Diane Barrans if she knows whether the list
that was passed out to the committee is a list of additional
schools that will qualify for the program [if this amendment is
adopted] rather than a comprehensive list of the
vocational/technical institutions that are eligible.
DIANE BARRANS, Executive Director, Alaska Commission on
Postsecondary Education, Juneau, AK, said the effect of the
change is to include non-collegiate programs. The current
language specifies an accreditor that doesn't recognize certain
nationally accredited types of schools; so by referencing the
U.S. Department of Education approval, the amendment has
broadened the scope to include those one-year training programs
regardless of whether they are public or private.
CHAIR ELTON asked how many students they are adding by adopting
this amendment.
MS. BARRANS said she doesn't expect it to substantially increase
the pool. About 90 percent of students in Alaska attend the
University of Alaska and are already included; enrollments at
Seward are rarely above 300 and the Career Academy probably has
similar enrollment, so even if all of those students qualified
it would not represent a substantial expansion.
8:10:03 AM
SENATOR OLSON asked how that increase would affect the existing
$25 million fiscal note.
MR. MOE said they currently have no appropriations to this fund;
the bill just creates the endowment. The fiscal note only gauges
the resources that would be required to manage a fund of that
size.
8:11:12 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS joined the meeting.
8:11:17 AM
CHAIR ELTON advised Senator Huggins of the motion to adopt
Amendment 1 and directed him to the list of additional eligible
institutions, which is included in his packet.
8:11:57 AM
CHAIR ELTON asked if there were any objections to the amendment;
there being none, Amendment 1 was adopted.
CHAIR ELTON thanked Mr. Moe and Ms. Barrans for making
themselves available today and said he would like to move to
discussion of the full bill at this time.
8:12:47 AM
SENATOR STEVENS opined that the state has not done a great job
of helping those students with financial need; he asked Ms.
Barrans to explain, in general terms, how this helps address
that problem.
MS. BARRANS said what she sees as most advantageous, should the
endowment be funded, is the ability to communicate to students,
especially at-risk students, early in their education that there
is a source of funds available to them. One of the problems with
the current needs-based program, which is very modestly funded,
is that the funding source is not dependable; the year-to-year
structure makes it difficult for them to use it as an incentive
for junior high students.
CHAIR ELTON said he assumes this program is an addition to the
Alaska scholars program, for which the top ten percent of
graduating students are eligible as they enter the University of
Alaska. He asked if that is correct and if so, how that affects
the determination of need.
8:15:42 AM
MR. MOE answered that there is a UA scholars program, but there
are students who achieve a high grade point average and still
fall into the gap between getting into the UA scholars program
and qualifying for financial aid such as the Pell Grant or other
scholarships; this complements those programs. This bill not
only requires students to show a certain level of achievement,
but at least $4000 of unmet financial need. His statistics show
that the average annual tuition in the University [of Alaska]
system is around $12,000; so even if students save all of their
[Permanent Fund] dividends, apply for all of the financial aid
they can get and are doing very well in school, there is a large
disparity.
SENATOR STEVENS felt that students might be embarrassed by a
public recognition of their financial need when presented with
the scholarship and asked if the presentation could be made a
little more palatable.
MR. MOE appreciated his concern but said he doesn't think many
college students are shy about receiving money for their unmet
financial need.
SENATOR STEVENS said he would still like to make that aspect of
it less obvious.
8:18:55 AM
MS. BARRANS noted for the record that, under the proposed
language, the commission does have the ability to promulgate
regulations. It would be their intent that this grant will not
displace other non-loan aid; so if students have sufficient
scholarships to eliminate the gap between their non-loan aid and
the cost of education without this program, they would not
qualify. The University of Alaska student leadership feels it is
important that students invest in their own education; so it was
their suggestion that a student should have at least $4000 in
unmet need.
8:20:11 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked how the scholarship appears to the
student.
MS. BARRANS said students receive notification from the
institution through their financial letter of award of financial
aid. She is not sure whether it will be called the Alaska ACES
Award or Alaska Ice Award, but the award would appear in their
financial aid letter. She added that it will be important to
emphasize the academic achievement aspect of the award to
students, because they will have to continue to meet the
academic qualification each year.
8:21:31 AM
CHAIR ELTON asked Ms. Barrans to explain what kind of
performance standard students will have to demonstrate once they
get into college.
MR. MOE read on page 2, line 24 that a student must have
"achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a
scale of 4.0, or the equivalent at the school in which the
applicant is currently enrolled;" so the student must
demonstrate achievement of a B average or better while getting
the scholarship and must graduate within five years.
8:23:11 AM
CHAIR ELTON questioned the language "or the equivalent at the
school where the applicant is currently enrolled." He asked if a
student who is not making the required grade point average at
one school could transfer to another school and re-qualify for
the scholarship.
MR. MOE said the student would probably have to demonstrate
achievement of a 3.0 at the first school. He thinks the language
was crafted in this way to accommodate those schools that do not
have a traditional grading system.
CHAIR ELTON questioned whether a student who wants to transition
from a smaller school to UAF would be precluded from applying
for the scholarship for the next year at the new school.
MS. BARRANS clarified that the financial aid professionals have
to be able to certify that students qualify with a 3.0 GPA; so
they would have to attend for two terms and establish a two term
GPA in order to be certified according to standard financial aid
practices; a student can transfer credits, but not the grade
point that accompanied them.
CHAIR ELTON asked if striking the words "at the school in which
the applicant is currently enrolled" on page 2, line 26, would
solve the problem.
8:26:25 AM
MS. BARRANS asked if the presumption is that the student had an
eligible GPA at the prior school.
CHAIR ELTON said he was confused; he thought she just said that
the credits would transfer but not the GPA.
MS. BARRANS agreed, but said if they strike that language, the
new school could "reference" the qualifying GPA at the previous
school so there would not be a break in the student's
eligibility.
CHAIR ELTON asked whether the institution or the commission
certifies the previous GPA.
MS. BARRANS explained that efficiencies in financial aid
administration are created by a partnership between the
commission and the institutions. The commission does not collect
or review transcripts; they rely on an agreement with the
financial aid office at the institution to certify all of that
electronically.
8:28:16 AM
SENATOR STEVENS thought part of the problem might be the use of
the term "enrolled," which means the student has filled out the
paperwork and been accepted, but may not be taking classes yet.
CHAIR ELTON asked if the definition of "qualifying postsecondary
institution" on page 3, line 29 would preclude an Alaska student
who wants to participate in the WWAMI program from getting a
scholarship.
MS. BARRANS said she believes this program is only for
undergraduate study, but she does not see that limitation in the
language; so Alaska WWAMI would be covered even if the
institution the student is attending is outside the state.
8:29:55 AM
MR. MOE disagreed. He said he does not believe WWAMI qualifies
because this program is only for postsecondary institutions
within the state of Alaska.
SENATOR OLSON said that under the WWAMI program, students do
complete some of their work in Alaska and as expensive as it is
to attend medical school, it would be a help if this could apply
to those students.
8:30:44 AM
MR. MOE said those students will qualify for their undergraduate
work in Alaska, but not when they transfer to a school outside.
SENATOR OLSON asked for verification of whether this is only an
undergraduate program.
MR. MOE said he can't answer the senator's question at this
time, but will get back to him with that information.
SENATOR DAVIS was concerned about the 3.0 qualifying GPA and
said she would like to see it changed to 2.5 (C+), especially if
students have to wait two semesters before they qualify. There
isn't enough funding out there, she said, and if the committee
wants to encourage more kids to go to school, they should
consider lowering that.
CHAIR ELTON said he was going to close discussion on the bill
for this time and suggested that members be prepared to discuss
the GPA and undergraduate issues when he brings it back. He also
directed Ms. Barrans to page 2, line 22 and said it would be
helpful to know what the parameters are for the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid and about the reference on page 4, line
3 to 20 U.S.C. 1070c-2.
8:34:17 AM
Chair Elton set SB 33 aside.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| BTKH EDUC Leg Presentation FINAL 0209.ppt |
SEDC 2/11/2009 8:00:00 AM |