SF 2649

Introduction - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004)

Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00 a.m.

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to higher education; creating a postsecondary 
  1.3             study-abroad grant program; appropriating money; 
  1.4             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.5             chapter 136A. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [136A.86] [GRANTS FOR STUDY ABROAD.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITION; ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.] For the 
  1.9   purposes of this section, an "eligible institution" is an 
  1.10  accredited public or private not-for-profit higher education 
  1.11  institution located in Minnesota that awards primarily four-year 
  1.12  academic degrees.  
  1.13     Subd. 2.  [GRANTS.] The Higher Education Services Office 
  1.14  may provide grants to Minnesota resident students enrolled at 
  1.15  eligible institutions to study abroad for at least one semester 
  1.16  and not more than one year.  Grants must be awarded to eligible 
  1.17  students who apply for the grant.  The number of grants an 
  1.18  institution may apply for is limited to the number of foreign 
  1.19  students enrolled on a full-time basis in a four-year degree 
  1.20  program at the institution in the previous year.  Grants may be 
  1.21  awarded only for study-abroad destinations that are directly 
  1.22  related to the country of citizenship of a foreign student 
  1.23  enrolled at the institution.  An institution, on behalf of the 
  1.24  student, must request payment of the grant from the Higher 
  1.25  Education Services Office.  The maximum grant amount is $10,000 
  2.1   per student.  Grants may be awarded only to the extent 
  2.2   appropriations are available.  
  2.3      Subd. 3.  [ELIGIBILITY.] A student is eligible for a 
  2.4   study-abroad grant if the student is a Minnesota resident and 
  2.5   enrolled in a four-year degree program at an eligible 
  2.6   institution.  Students in graduate or postgraduate degree 
  2.7   programs are eligible for a study-abroad grant.  To be eligible 
  2.8   for a study-abroad grant, a student must demonstrate proficiency 
  2.9   in the foreign language spoken in the country in which the 
  2.10  study-abroad experience will occur or have successfully 
  2.11  completed at least four semesters of foreign language study in 
  2.12  the language spoken in the country in which the study-abroad 
  2.13  experience will occur.  A foreign language is a language other 
  2.14  than English and which is not the student's primary language.  
  2.15     Subd. 4.  [USE OF GRANT.] A grant under this section may 
  2.16  only be used to support study abroad in a program that is 
  2.17  approved by the student's school.  The grant may be used to 
  2.18  support study only in countries where English is not the primary 
  2.19  language, except that a student may receive a grant to study in 
  2.20  developing countries as defined by the World Bank.  
  2.21     Subd. 5.  [REPORTING.] Participating institutions must 
  2.22  provide to the Higher Education Services Office the following 
  2.23  information each year: 
  2.24     (1) aggregate data on the number of international students 
  2.25  enrolled at the institution; 
  2.26     (2) the number of its foreign students by country of 
  2.27  citizenship; 
  2.28     (3) the students' level of academic progress; and 
  2.29     (4) the students' enrollment status. 
  2.30     Institutions must also provide aggregate data on students 
  2.31  participating in a study-abroad program supported by a grant 
  2.32  under this section, including the countries in which the study 
  2.33  is taking place, academic status, and the number of successful 
  2.34  completions of the study-abroad program.  
  2.35     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.36     $....... is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal 
  3.1   year 2005 to the Higher Education Services Office for 
  3.2   study-abroad grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.86.  
  3.3      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.4      Section 1 is effective for study-abroad enrollment 
  3.5   beginning in the fall 2004 semester or its equivalent and 
  3.6   thereafter.