Establishing the armed forces reserve component scholarship program within the college student aid commission

The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. This bill establishes the armed forces reserve component scholarship program within the college student aid commission for members of the reserve forces of the United States armed forces who are enrolled as full-time students in an eligible institution. The bill provides that a qualified student who is enrolled as a full-time student in an eligible institution may receive a scholarship under the program for not more than the equivalent of eight semesters of study. If the eligible student is enrolled in a community college, the amount of the eligible student’s scholarship shall not exceed the lesser of the eligible student’s financial need or 100 percent of the resident tuition and mandatory fees charged by the community college. If the eligible student is enrolled in an institution of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents, or an accredited private institution, the amount of the eligible student’s scholarship shall not exceed the lesser of the eligible student’s financial need or 100 percent of the average resident tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate study charged by the institutions of higher learning. The bill provides that if the amount appropriated in a fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships to all who apply for the program and who are determined to be eligible for the program, the commission shall determine the distribution of scholarships. The bill provides that if an eligible student discontinues attendance before the end of any semester, or the equivalent, after receiving scholarship payments, the entire amount of any refund due to that eligible student, up to the full amount of all of the annual scholarship payments made, shall be paid by the eligible institution to the commission. This provision does not apply to an eligible student who discontinues attendance due to the eligible student being ordered to active duty. Scholarship awards under the program are required to be paid to the eligible institution by the commission upon receipt of certification by the eligible institution as to the accuracy of charges made and as to the attendance and academic progress of the eligible student at the eligible institution. The bill requires the commission to maintain an annual record of the number of participants in the program and the dollar value of the scholarship awards issued. The bill provides that a member of a reserve component of the army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, or space force of the United States, located in this state, is ineligible for a scholarship award under the program if the member has met the educational requirements for a baccalaureate degree or if the member was discharged from any branch of the armed forces under other than honorable conditions. If an eligible student is ordered to active duty during the time in which the eligible student is enrolled in an eligible institution and receiving scholarship awards under the program, the commission is authorized to waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision applicable to the program to ensure that the eligible student is able to utilize any scholarships awarded to the eligible student under the program within five years after the eligible student’s enlistment obligation in a reserve component of the armed forces ends, and to ensure that administrative requirements placed on the eligible student are minimized, to the extent possible. The bill requires the commission to adopt rules to administer the program. The bill defines “active duty”, “commission”, “eligible institution”, “eligible student”, “financial need”, and “full-time”.