HF 2914

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/15/2023 09:09am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; establishing a last-dollar scholarship program for
students preparing to become licensed social workers; requiring a report;
appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
136A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [136A.1285] SOCIAL WORK SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Program established. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of the Office of Higher
Education shall establish a scholarship program for eligible students preparing to become
licensed social workers in Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligible students. new text end

new text begin (a) A student is eligible for a scholarship under this section
if the student is:
new text end

new text begin (1) a resident student as defined in section 136A.101;
new text end

new text begin (2) enrolled in a baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree-granting social work program
at an eligible institution as defined in section 136A.101; and
new text end

new text begin (3) in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress as defined in
section 136A.101.
new text end

new text begin (b) To receive a scholarship under this section, a student must:
new text end

new text begin (1) apply in the form and manner specified by the commissioner;
new text end

new text begin (2) submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and
new text end

new text begin (3) sign a contract agreeing to fulfill the employment obligation under subdivision 4.
new text end

new text begin (c) A student may receive a scholarship under this section for no more than eight
semesters or the equivalent.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Scholarship amounts. new text end

new text begin (a) The amount of a scholarship awarded under this
section shall be equal to the recipient's recognized cost of attendance after deducting:
new text end

new text begin (1) the amount of the federal Pell grant award for which the recipient is eligible;
new text end

new text begin (2) the amount of the state grant award for which the recipient is eligible;
new text end

new text begin (3) the amount of any other state or federal gift aid received; and
new text end

new text begin (4) the sum of all institutional scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, and tuition remission
amounts.
new text end

new text begin (b) For purposes of this section, the recognized cost of attendance for a public institution
has the meaning given in Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, chapter 28, subchapter IV,
part F, section 1087ll. The recognized cost of attendance for a private institution equals the
lesser of:
new text end

new text begin (1) the cost of attendance for the institution as calculated under Code of Federal
Regulations, title 20, chapter 28, subchapter IV, part F, section 1087ll; or
new text end

new text begin (2) an amount equal to the highest recognized cost of attendance at a public university.
new text end

new text begin (c) The scholarship shall be paid directly to the institution where the recipient is enrolled.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Employment obligation. new text end

new text begin (a) Within six months after the completion of the
academic program for which the scholarship was awarded, a scholarship recipient must:
new text end

new text begin (1) be licensed with the Minnesota Board of Social Work; and
new text end

new text begin (2) be employed full time as a social worker in Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin (b) A recipient who has completed the program for which the scholarship was awarded,
but who has not been employed full time as a social worker in Minnesota for at least ten
years, must annually verify, in a form and manner specified by the commissioner, that the
recipient is employed in a position that fulfills the employment obligation.
new text end

new text begin (c) If a recipient fails to meet the employment requirement, the commissioner shall
convert the recipient's total scholarship award to a student loan and collect from the
participant the total amount paid plus interest at a rate established according to section
270C.40.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner may waive or defer the employment obligation for a scholarship
recipient for continued graduate studies in social work or for circumstances involving
extreme hardship.
new text end

new text begin (e) Any obligation to fulfill the employment obligation cancels upon the death or
permanent and total disability of the scholarship recipient.
new text end

new text begin (f) The commissioner shall develop a contract to be signed by all scholarship applicants.
The contract shall bind the applicant to the employment obligation under this subdivision.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Insufficient appropriation. new text end

new text begin If the amount appropriated for this program is
determined by the office to be insufficient to make full awards to all eligible applicants, the
commissioner shall prioritize awards to eligible applicants based on the applicants' individual
financial needs as determined by the federal needs analysis.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report required. new text end

new text begin By February 15 of each year, the commissioner of the Office
of Higher Education shall submit a report on the details of the program under this section
to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over higher education finance and policy and
to the Legislative Reference Library as provided by section 3.195. The report shall include
the following information:
new text end

new text begin (1) the number of students receiving an award in the previous year and the institutions
they attended;
new text end

new text begin (2) the average and total award amounts in the previous year, disaggregated by institution
attended;
new text end

new text begin (3) summary demographic data on award recipients in the previous year;
new text end

new text begin (4) data on recipients currently subject to the employment obligation under subdivision
4, including the number of recipients subject to the obligation, the number who are
successfully completing the obligation, the number who have had their scholarships converted
to loans, and the number who have had their obligation waived or deferred; and
new text end

new text begin (5) if the appropriation for the program was determined to be insufficient, an explanation
of measures taken under subdivision 5.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment. The
commissioner shall begin offering scholarships under this section in the 2024-2025 academic
year.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; SOCIAL WORK SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin (a) $....... in fiscal year 2024 and $....... in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for the social work
scholarship program under section 136A.1285.
new text end

new text begin (b) The office may use no more than three percent of the amount appropriated under
this section to administer the scholarship program.
new text end