Revision: April 4, 2017, 8:22 a.m.
HB 607-FN-A - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
8Mar2017... 0248h
2017 SESSION
17-0537
04/05
HOUSE BILL 607-FN-A
AN ACT establishing a New Hampshire student access grant program and making an appropriation therefor.
SPONSORS: Rep. Grenier, Sull. 7; Rep. Irwin, Sull. 6; Sen. Watters, Dist 4
COMMITTEE: Education
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This bill establishes the New Hampshire student access grant program.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
8Mar2017... 0248h 17-0537
04/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen
AN ACT establishing a New Hampshire student access grant program and making an appropriation therefor.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; New Hampshire Student Access Grant Program. Amend RSA 21-N by inserting after section 8-b the following new section:
21-N:8-c New Hampshire Student Access Grant Program Established.
I. There is hereby established the New Hampshire student access grant program. The purpose of this program is to provide postsecondary education and training opportunities to graduates of any public or private secondary school approved for operation in New Hampshire by the department of education, including chartered public schools, home educated students, and students who have received a high school equivalency certificate, by providing a grant of up to $1,000 each year for a maximum of 4 years to eligible students pursuing a full-time degree program at any public postsecondary educational institution in New Hampshire.
II. A student shall be eligible to apply for a grant under this program if the student:
(a) Is admitted as a first-year student to any public postsecondary educational institution in New Hampshire approved by the United States Department of Education to receive Title 4 funds and will be a full-time student in a degree program;
(b) Has graduated secondary school with at least a 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, and has been designated by the secondary school as a New Hampshire scholar or its equivalent; and
(c) Has submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is eligible to receive a Pell grant.
III. A student shall submit a grant application to the postsecondary educational institution on a form developed by the institution.
IV. Grant recipients shall maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Grant recipients shall receive an award of up to $1,000 each year for a maximum of 4 years.
V. Not later than August 1 of each academic year, the postsecondary educational institution shall select the applicants who will receive a grant and shall submit to the higher education commission a list of those applicants selected.
VI. Upon notification from the postsecondary educational institution, the higher education commission shall disburse funds from the New Hampshire student access grant fund established in this section to each institution to provide grants. If the amount in the fund is insufficient, the amount shall be prorated proportionally among the applicants selected to receive a grant.
VII. There is hereby established in the office of the state treasurer a fund to be known as the New Hampshire student access grant fund. The fund shall include any sums appropriated for such purpose. In addition, the higher education commission may accept public sector and private sector grants, gifts, or donations of any kind for the purpose of funding the provisions of this section. The moneys in this fund shall be nonlapsing and shall be continually appropriated to the higher education commission. The fund shall be expended by the higher education commission to award grants to selected students in accordance with this section. The state treasurer may invest moneys in the fund as provided by law, with interest received on such investment credited to the fund.
VIII. The higher education commission shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to deadlines for a postsecondary educational institution to request disbursement of funds to grant recipients.
2 New Subparagraph; Application of Receipts; New Hampshire Student Access Grant Fund. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (333) the following new subparagraph:
(334) Moneys deposited in the New Hampshire student access grant fund established in RSA 21-N:8-c.
3 Appropriation. The sum of $1 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018 and the sum of $1 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019 are hereby appropriated to the higher education commission for the purposes of the New Hampshire student access grant program established in RSA 21-N:8-c. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sums out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.
17-0537
Amended 3/31/17
HB 607-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2017-0248h)
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None
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| |||
| Estimated Increase / (Decrease) | |||
STATE: | FY 2018 | FY 2019 | FY 2020 | FY 2021 |
Appropriation | $1 | $1 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase |
Expenditures | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase |
Funding Source: | [ X ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ X ] Other - New Hampshire Student Access Grant Fund | |||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill establishes the New Hampshire student access grant program and is intended to provide grants for qualifying New Hampshire high school or equivalency certificate holders graduates pursuing a degree at a New Hampshire public postsecondary educational institution. This bill also establishes a dedicated fund for the program where funds from any public or private grants, gifts, or donations may be accepted into the fund. The Department of Education states under this bill, postsecondary educational institutions would collect and submit lists of students eligible for this program and the Department would allocate available program funding over the number of eligible recipients. The Department expects administrative costs, if any, to be minimal. It is unknown if any outside funding sources would be available for this program and therefore the overall estimated impact on state revenues and expenditures in indeterminable. This bill makes a general fund appropriation of $1 in FY 2018 and $1 in FY 2019 for this program.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Education