SF 2226

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; amending the Minnesota
academic excellence scholarship; clarifying tuition
benefits for senior citizens; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2004, sections 135A.30, subdivisions 1, 4;
135A.52, subdivisions 1, 2; 136F.32, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 135A.30,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Creation.

The Minnesota academic
excellence scholarship program is created to reward students who
have demonstrated outstanding ability, achievement, and
potential in one of the following subjects: English/creative
writing, new text begin education, new text end fine arts, foreign language, math, new text begin nursing,
new text end science, or social science.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 135A.30,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Amount of scholarship.

The amount of the
scholarship deleted text begin must deleted text end new text begin may new text end be (1) at public institutions, new text begin up to new text end the
cost of tuition and fees for full-time attendance for one
academic year, or (2) at private institutions, an amount equal
to the lesser of the actual tuition and fees charged by the
institution or the tuition and fees in comparable public
institutions. Scholarships awarded under this section must not
be considered in determining a student's financial need as
provided in section 136A.101, subdivision 5.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 135A.52,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Fees and tuition.

Except for an
administration fee established by the governing board at a level
to recover costs, to be collected only when a course is taken
for credit, a senior citizen who is a legal resident of
Minnesota is entitled without payment of tuition or activity
fees to attend courses offered for credit, audit any courses
offered for credit, or enroll in any noncredit deleted text begin adult vocational
education deleted text end courses in any state supported institution of higher
education in Minnesota when space is available after all
tuition-paying students have been accommodated. new text begin A senior
citizen enrolled under this section must pay any materials,
personal property, or service charges for the course. In
addition, a senior citizen who is enrolled in a course for
credit must pay an administrative fee in an amount established
by the governing board of the institution to recover the course
costs. There shall be no administrative fee charges to a senior
citizen auditing a course. new text end For the purposes of this section and
section 135A.51, the term "noncredit deleted text begin adult vocational education
deleted text end courses" shall not include those deleted text begin adult vocational education
deleted text end courses designed and offered specifically and exclusively for
senior citizens.

The provisions of this section and section 135A.51 do not
apply to noncredit courses designed and offered by the
University of Minnesota, and the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities specifically and exclusively for senior citizens.
Senior citizens enrolled under the provisions of this section
and section 135A.51 shall not be included by such institutions
in their computation of full-time equivalent students when
requesting staff or appropriations. deleted text begin The enrollee shall pay
laboratory or material fees.
deleted text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 135A.52,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Term; income of senior citizens.

new text begin (a) Except
under paragraph (b), new text end there shall be no limit to the number of
terms, quarters or semesters a senior citizen may attend
courses, nor income limitation imposed in determining
eligibility.

new text begin (b) A senior citizen enrolled in a closed enrollment
contract training or professional continuing education program
is not eligible for benefits under subdivision 1.
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 136F.32,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Technical and consolidated technical colleges.

(a) A technical college or consolidated technical community
college shall offer students the option of pursuing diplomas deleted text begin and
deleted text end new text begin or new text end certificates in each technical education program, unless the
board determines that a degree is the only acceptable credential
for career entry in a specific field. All vocational and
technical credits earned for a diploma or certificate shall be
applicable toward any available degree in the same program.

(b) Certificates and diplomas are credentials that
demonstrate competence in a vocational or technical area and,
therefore, may include a general education component only as
part of an articulation agreement or to meet occupational
requirements as established by the trade or profession, or by
the program advisory committee. Students shall be provided with
applied training in general studies as necessary for competence
in the program area. Students who have earned a certificate or
diploma may earn a degree in the same field if they complete the
general education and other degree requirements.