HF 381

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 01/30/2023 08:23pm

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; strengthening the Increase Teachers of Color Act in
higher education; making permanent a pilot scholarship program for aspiring
teachers of color; establishing a special revenue fund account; modifying provisions
of the teacher shortage loan repayment program; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 136A.1791, subdivisions 2, 5; Laws 2021, First
Special Session chapter 2, article 2, section 45.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 136A.1791, subdivision 2, is amended to
read:

Subd. 2.

Program established; administration.

new text begin (a) new text end The commissioner shall establish
and administer a teacher shortage loan repayment program.

new text begin (b) The commissioner must establish an application deadline and give equal consideration
to all applicants regardless of the order the application was received before the deadline.
new text end

new text begin (c) If the funds available for the program are insufficient to make full awards to eligible
applicants, the commissioner must prioritize awards as follows:
new text end

new text begin (1) to applicants with the greatest financial need, taking into consideration the applicant's
income, household size, total qualified educational loan debt, and other relevant factors;
and
new text end

new text begin (2) to applicants meeting more than one of the three eligibility categories in subdivision
3a.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner must ensure an equitable distribution of student loan repayment
funds to teachers across all economic development regions using a method determined by
the commissioner. Funds reserved under paragraph (e) must be allocated separately.
new text end

new text begin (e) So long as the aggregate percentage of teachers of color and American Indian teachers
in the state, as determined by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, is
lower than the aggregate percentage of kindergarten through grade 12 students of color and
kindergarten through grade 12 American Indian students in the state, as determined by the
commissioner of education under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, the commissioner must
reserve a percentage of the loan forgiveness program's available funds for those teachers
eligible for loan forgiveness because they belong to a racial or ethnic group underrepresented
in the teacher workforce. The percentage reserved under this paragraph must be equal to or
greater than the aggregate percentage of kindergarten through grade 12 students of color
and kindergarten through grade 12 American Indian students in the state, as determined by
the commissioner of education under section 120B.35, subdivision 3. Funds reserved under
this paragraph must be considered separately for purposes of prioritizing awards under
paragraph (c). The amount reserved under this paragraph seeks to improve all students'
access to effective and diverse teachers under sections 120B.11 and 124D.861.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 136A.1791, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Amount of loan repayment.

(a) To the extent funding is available, the
new text begin maximum new text end annual amount of new text begin a new text end teacher shortage loan repayment new text begin award new text end for an approved
applicant new text begin is as follows:
new text end

new text begin (1) for an applicant meeting only one of the three eligibility categories under subdivision
3a, the maximum award amount new text end shall not exceed deleted text begin $1,000 deleted text end new text begin $2,000 new text end or the cumulative balance
of the applicant's qualified educational loans, including principal and interest, whichever
amount is less deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (2) for an applicant meeting two or more of the three eligibility categories under
subdivision 3a, the maximum award amount shall not exceed $4,000 or the cumulative
balance of the applicant's qualified educational loans, including principal and interest,
whichever amount is less.
new text end

(b) Recipients must secure their own qualified educational loans. Teachers who graduate
from an approved teacher preparation program or teachers who add a licensure field,
consistent with the teacher shortage requirements of this section, are eligible to apply for
the loan repayment program.

(c) No teacher shall receive more than five annual awards.

Sec. 3.

Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 2, article 2, section 45, is amended to
read:

Sec. 45. ASPIRING MINNESOTA TEACHERS OF COLOR SCHOLARSHIP
deleted text begin PILOT deleted text end PROGRAM.

Subdivision 1.

Scholarship deleted text begin pilot deleted text end program established.

The commissioner must establish
a scholarship deleted text begin pilot deleted text end program to support undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing
to become teachers, have demonstrated financial need, and belong to racial or ethnic groups
underrepresented in the state's teacher workforce.

Subd. 2.

Eligibility.

(a) To be eligible for a scholarship under this section, an applicant
must:

(1) new text begin either new text end be admitted and enrolled in a teacher preparation program approved by the
Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board and be seeking initial licensure deleted text begin , deleted text end new text begin ; new text end or
be enrolled in an eligible institution under section 136A.103 and be completing deleted text begin a two-year
program specifically designed to prepare early childhood educators deleted text end new text begin an associate's degree
in early childhood education, education, or special education new text end ;

(2) affirm to the teacher preparation program or the Office of Higher Education that the
applicant is a person of color or American Indian;

(3) be meeting satisfactory academic progress as defined under section 136A.101,
subdivision 10; and

(4) demonstrate financial need based on criteria developed by the commissioner.

(b) An eligible applicant may receive a scholarship award more than once, but may
receive a total of no more than deleted text begin $25,000 deleted text end new text begin $30,000 new text end in scholarship awards from the program.

new text begin (c) An applicant may apply for both a scholarship under this section and an
underrepresented student teacher grant under section 136A.1274, but may not receive an
award from both programs during the same academic semester or term unless there are
sufficient funds appropriated to support all eligible applicants.
new text end

Subd. 3.

Scholarship award amount.

(a) The commissioner must establish a priority
application deadline and must give equal consideration to all eligible applicants regardless
of the new text begin applicant's attended institution or the new text end order the application was received before the
priority application deadline. If the funds available for the program are insufficient to make
full awards to all eligible applicants who apply on or before the deadline, the commissioner
must make awards based on the deleted text begin expected family contribution deleted text end new text begin Student Aid Index new text end of an
applicant, prioritizing applicants with the lowest deleted text begin expected family contributions deleted text end new text begin Student Aid
Indexes new text end . If there are multiple complete applications with identical deleted text begin expected family
contributions deleted text end new text begin Student Aid Indexes new text end , those applications may be prioritized by application
completion date.

(b) new text begin For eligible applicants enrolled in a teacher preparation program as part of a
baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree program, new text end the maximum award amount is $10,000
per year for full-time study. new text begin For eligible applicants enrolled in an associate's degree program,
the maximum award amount is $6,000 per year for full-time study. new text end For undergraduate
students, full-time study means enrollment in a minimum of 15 or more credits per term.
For graduate students, full-time study means enrollment in a minimum of six graduate
credits or the equivalent.

(c) If an eligible applicant is enrolled new text begin full time new text end in a program for new text begin only new text end one term during
the academic year, the new text begin applicant may receive no more than half the applicable new text end maximum
award amount deleted text begin is $5,000 deleted text end . If an eligible applicant is enrolled part time, the award amount
must be prorated on a per-credit basis.

(d) Subject to the funds available for the program, and subject to the limitation in
paragraph (e), the minimum award amount established under this section for full-time study
must be no less than $1,000 per year.

(e) An eligible applicant's individual award amount must not exceed the applicant's cost
of attendance after deducting: (1) the student's deleted text begin expected family contribution deleted text end new text begin Student Aid
Index new text end ; (2) the sum of all state or federal grants and gift aid received, including a Pell Grant
and state grant; (3) the sum of all institutional grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, and
tuition remission amounts; and (4) the amount of any private grants or scholarships.

(f) Awards are made until available funds are expended. Eligible applicants who
completed their applications on or before the priority application deadline but who did not
receive an award due to insufficient funds, and eligible applicants who completed their
applications after the priority application deadline, shall be placed on an award waiting list
by order of application completion date.

Subd. 4.

Administration.

(a) The commissioner must establish an application process
for individual students and institutions on behalf of all eligible students at the institution
and other guidelines for implementing the scholarship program.

(b) A scholarship award must be paid to the eligible applicant's teacher preparation
institution on behalf of the eligible applicant. Awards may be paid only when the institution
has confirmed to the commissioner the applicant's name, racial or ethnic identity, gender,
licensure area sought, and enrollment status.

new text begin Subd. 4a. new text end

new text begin Account established. new text end

new text begin An aspiring Minnesota teachers of color scholarship
program account is created in the special revenue fund for depositing money appropriated
to or received by the commissioner for the program. Money deposited in the account is
appropriated to the commissioner, does not cancel, and is continuously available for
scholarship awards under this section.
new text end

Subd. 5.

Service expectation.

An applicant who receives a scholarship under this section
is expected to serve as a full-time teacher in Minnesota after completing the program for
which the scholarship was awarded.

Subd. 6.

Report.

By December 15 of each year, the commissioner must submit a full
report on the details of the scholarship program for the previous fiscal year to the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over E-12 and higher education finance and policy. The reports
must also be made available on the Office of Higher Education's website. The reports must
include the following information:

(1) the number of applicants and the number of award recipients, each broken down by
postsecondary institution with ten or more recipients;

(2) the total number of awards, the total dollar amount of all awards, and the average
award amount;

(3) summary data on the racial or ethnic identity, gender, licensure area sought, and
enrollment status of all applicants and award recipients; and

(4) other summary data identified by the commissioner as outcome indicators.

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Aspiring Minnesota teachers of color scholarship program. new text end

new text begin (a)
$18,500,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $18,500,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from
the general fund for transfer to the aspiring Minnesota teachers of color scholarship program
account in the special revenue fund under Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 2, article
2, section 45, as amended by this act. The commissioner of the Office of Higher Education
and the commissioner of the Department of Management and Budget shall transfer to the
program's special revenue fund account any remaining balance of the amount appropriated
for the program in Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 2, article 1, section 2, subdivision
38.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner may use no more than $200,000 of this appropriation to administer
the program.
new text end

new text begin (c) The base for this appropriation is $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and later.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Grants to underrepresented student teachers. new text end

new text begin (a) $2,500,000 in fiscal year
2024 and $2,500,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the general fund to the
commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for grants to underrepresented student
teachers under Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.1274.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner may use no more than three percent of this appropriation to
administer the program.
new text end

new text begin (c) The base for this appropriation is $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and later.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Teacher shortage loan repayment program. new text end

new text begin (a) $8,250,000 in fiscal year
2024 and $8,250,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the general fund for transfer
to the teacher shortage loan repayment account in the special revenue fund under Minnesota
Statutes, section 136A.1791, subdivision 8.
new text end

new text begin (b) The amount reserved for eligible applicants belonging to a racial or ethnic group
underrepresented in the teacher workforce pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.1791,
subdivision 2, paragraph (e), as amended by this act, may be no less than $8,000,000 in
each fiscal year.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner may use no more than $250,000 of this appropriation to administer
the program.
new text end

new text begin (d) The base for this appropriation is $8,250,000 in fiscal year 2026 and later.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin REVISOR INSTRUCTION.
new text end

new text begin The revisor of statutes shall codify Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 2, article
2, section 45, as amended by this act, as a new section in Minnesota Statutes numbered
136A.1273.
new text end