1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; appropriating money to support certain student 
1.3 	support services programs;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.4 	chapter 136A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [136A.123] TRIO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES.
1.7 		Subdivision 1.Qualifying TRIO Student Support Services programs. As used 
1.8 	in this section, "qualifying program" means a TRIO Student Support Services program 
1.9 	that is eligible for and has received federal grant aid under United States Code, title 20, 
1.10 	section 1070a-14. A qualifying program's purpose must be to increase college retention 
1.11 	and graduation rates for eligible students. Qualifying program activities may include, but 
1.12 	are not limited to, academic advising, academic tutoring and instruction, financial aid 
1.13 	counseling, and direct grant aid to students.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Supplemental grant assistance. (a) Upon application to the commissioner, 
1.15 	a public or private postsecondary institution in Minnesota that operates a qualifying 
1.16 	program is eligible to receive a supplemental grant to support the program, as provided in 
1.17 	this subdivision. The commissioner shall prescribe a form for this purpose.
1.18 	(b) No later than September 1 of each year, the commissioner shall distribute a 
1.19 	supplemental grant to each institution that has submitted a completed application indicating 
1.20 	eligibility for the grant. The amount of each institution's grant shall be proportional, based 
1.21 	on the amount of federal grant aid received by the institution for the qualifying program.
1.22 	(c) A supplemental grant must be used to support the program purpose and 
1.23 	activities described in subdivision 1. Notwithstanding the requirements of federal law, 
1.24 	a supplemental grant may be used to extend direct aid to students beyond their second 
2.1 	year of enrollment. Supplemental grants must be used to supplement, not supplant, other 
2.2 	existing funds received by the institution to support the qualifying program.
2.3 		Subd. 3.Outcomes report. (a) As a condition of receiving a supplemental 
2.4 	grant under this section, an institution must provide the commissioner with a report on 
2.5 	qualifying program outcomes, no later than October 15 of each year. The report must 
2.6 	describe the impact of the supplemental grant on the institution's qualifying programs in 
2.7 	the prior fiscal year, including:
2.8 	(1) the number of students served;
2.9 	(2) the number of students receiving direct grant aid, if applicable;
2.10 	(3) persistence and retention rates of participating students; and
2.11 	(4) graduation rates of participating students.
2.12 	(b) The commissioner, in consultation with each qualifying program, may prescribe 
2.13 	a consistent formula or methodology to be used in calculating the data required to be 
2.14 	reported under paragraph (a).
2.15 	(c) No later than January 1 of each year, the commissioner shall submit a report to 
2.16 	the legislative committees with jurisdiction over higher education policy and finance on 
2.17 	the distribution of supplemental grants under this section in the prior year. The report must 
2.18 	include the data reported by institutions received under paragraph (a).

2.19 	Sec. 2. SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS; TRIO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES 
2.20 	PROGRAMS.
 2.21 	$5,000,000 in fiscal year 2017 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.22 	commissioner of higher education for the purpose of providing supplemental grants to 
2.23 	support qualifying TRIO Student Support Services programs, as provided in Minnesota 
2.24 	Statutes, section 136A.123.