HF 141

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 02/02/2017 03:55pm

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; broadening the intervention for college attendance
grant program; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section
136A.861, subdivisions 1, 3, 5, 6, 7.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 136A.861, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Grants.

(a) The commissioner shall award grants to foster postsecondary
attendance and retention by providing outreach services to historically underserved students
in grades deleted text begin six deleted text end new text begin 9 new text end through 12 and historically underrepresented college students. Grants must
be awarded to programs that provide precollege new text begin or college new text end services, including, but not
limited to:

(1) academic new text begin and nonacademic new text end counseling new text begin or advising new text end ;

(2) mentoring;

(3) fostering and improving parental involvement in planning for and facilitating a
college education;

(4) services for students with English as a second language;

(5) academic enrichment activities;

(6) new text begin structured new text end tutoring;

(7) career awareness and exploration;

(8) orientation to college life;

(9) assistance with high school course selection and information about college admission
requirements; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(10) financial aid counseling deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end

new text begin (11) academic instruction programs in core curricular areas of mathematics and language
arts;
new text end

new text begin (12) supplemental instruction programs for college courses with high failure and
withdrawal rates; and
new text end

new text begin (13) co-requisite college course models for delivery of academic support.
new text end

deleted text begin (b) To the extent there are sufficient applications, the commissioner shall award an
approximate equal amount of grants for program-eligible students who are from communities
located outside the metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, as for
students from communities within the metropolitan area. If necessary to achieve the
approximately equal metropolitan area and nonmetropolitan area allocation, the commissioner
may award a preference to a nonmetropolitan area application in the form of five points on
a one hundred point application review scale.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (c) deleted text end new text begin (b) new text end Grants shall be awarded to postsecondary institutions, professional organizations,
community-based organizations, or deleted text begin others deleted text end new text begin other service providers new text end deemed appropriate by
the commissioner.

deleted text begin (d) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end Grants shall be awarded for one year and may be renewed for a second year with
documentation to the office of successful program outcomes.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 136A.861, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Application process.

(a) The commissioner shall develop a grant application
process. The commissioner shall attempt to support projects in a manner that ensures that
eligible students throughout the state have access to program services.

(b) The grant application must include, at a minimum, the following information:

(1) a description of the characteristics of the students to be served reflective of the need
for services listed in subdivision 1;

(2) a description of the services to be provided and a timeline for implementation of the
activities;

(3) a description of how the services provided will foster postsecondary new text begin readiness and
new text end attendance and support postsecondary retention new text begin and completion new text end ;

(4) a description of how the services will be evaluated to determine whether the program
goals were met; and

(5) other information as identified by the commissioner.

Grant recipients must specify both program and student outcome goals, and performance
measures for each goal.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 136A.861, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

deleted text begin Review deleted text end new text begin Advisory new text end committee.

The commissioner must establish and convene
deleted text begin a grant selection deleted text end new text begin an advisory new text end committee to deleted text begin review deleted text end new text begin assist the commissioner in reviewing new text end
applications and deleted text begin award grants deleted text end new text begin advise the commissioner on grantees and grant amounts new text end . The
members of the committee may include representatives of postsecondary institutions, school
districts, organizations providing precollege outreach services, and others deemed appropriate
by the commissioner.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 136A.861, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

deleted text begin Program evaluation deleted text end new text begin Outcome report new text end .

Each grant recipient must annually
submit a report to the Office new text begin of Higher Education new text end delineating its program and student
deleted text begin outcome deleted text end goals deleted text begin , deleted text end and activities implemented deleted text begin to achieve the stated outcomes. The goals must
be clearly stated and measurable. Grant recipients are required to collect, analyze, and report
on participation and outcome data that enable the office to verify that the program goals
were met. The office shall maintain: deleted text end new text begin . The report's description of impacts must include, but
not be limited to, information on:
new text end

(1) deleted text begin information about successful precollege program and undergraduate student retention
program activities for dissemination to individuals throughout the state interested in adopting
or replicating successful program practices; and deleted text end new text begin number of students served;
new text end

(2) deleted text begin data on the success of the funded projects in increasing the high school graduation,
college participation, and college graduation rates of students served by the grant recipients.
The office may convene meetings of the grant recipients, as needed, to discuss issues
pertaining to the implementation of precollege services and undergraduate retention programs. deleted text end new text begin
course taking and grade point average of participating students;
new text end

new text begin (3) persistence and retention rates of participating students;
new text end

new text begin (4) high school and postsecondary graduation rates of participating students; and
new text end

new text begin (5) the number of students who required postsecondary academic remediation and number
of remedial courses for each of those students and in the aggregate.
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 136A.861, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Report.

By January 15 of each odd-numbered year, the office shall submit a
report to the committees in the legislature with jurisdiction over higher education finance
regarding the grant recipients and their activities. The report shall include information about
the students served, the organizations providing services, program activities, program goals
and outcomes, and program revenue sources and funding levels. new text begin The report must include
recommendations, if any, for legislation to improve program outcomes.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2018 and $....... in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from the general
fund to the commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for the purpose of Minnesota
Statutes, section 136A.861. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30,
2022.
new text end