SF 2964

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 02/11/2022 08:35am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; expanding workforce development scholarships to
include law enforcement; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes
2020, section 136F.38, subdivisions 2, 4; Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement,
section 136F.38, subdivision 3; Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 2, article
1, section 3, subdivisions 1, 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 136F.38, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Scholarship awards.

The program shall award scholarships at the beginning
of an academic term, in the amount of $2,500 new text begin , or $5,000 for law enforcement students new text end , to
be distributed evenly between two terms.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 136F.38, subdivision 3, is amended
to read:

Subd. 3.

Program eligibility.

(a) Scholarships shall be awarded only to a student eligible
for resident tuition, as defined in section 135A.043, who is enrolled in any of the following
programs of study or certification: (1) advanced manufacturing; (2) agriculture; (3) health
care services; (4) information technology; (5) early childhood; (6) transportation; new text begin (7) law
enforcement, new text end or deleted text begin (7) deleted text end new text begin (8) new text end a program of study under paragraph (b).

(b) Each institution may add one additional area of study or certification, based on a
workforce shortage for full-time employment requiring postsecondary education that is
unique to the institution's specific region, as reported in the most recent Department of
Employment and Economic Development job vacancy survey data for the economic
development region in which the institution is located. A workforce shortage area is one in
which the job vacancy rate for full-time employment in a specific occupation in a region is
higher than the state average vacancy rate for that same occupation. The institution may
change the area of study or certification based on new data once every two years.

(c) The student must be enrolled for at least nine credits in a two-year college in the
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system to be eligible for first- and second-year
scholarships.

(d) The student is eligible for a one-year transfer scholarship if the student transfers from
a two-year college after two or more terms, and the student is enrolled for at least nine
credits in a four-year university in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 136F.38, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Renewal; cap.

A student who has received a scholarship may apply again but
total lifetime awards are not to exceed $7,500 per student new text begin , or $15,000 for law enforcement
students new text end . Students may only be awarded a second scholarship upon completion of two
academic terms. Students may be awarded a third scholarship if the student transfers to a
corresponding program at a Minnesota state university.

Sec. 4.

Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 2, article 1, section 3, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Total Appropriation

$

791,992,000

$

deleted text begin 789,491,000 deleted text end new text begin 809,491,000 new text end

The amounts that may be spent for each
purpose are specified in the following
subdivisions.

Sec. 5.

Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 2, article 1, section 3, subdivision 3, is
amended to read:

Subd. 3. Operations and Maintenance

753,795,000

deleted text begin 751,295,000 deleted text end new text begin 771,295,000 new text end

(a) The Board of Trustees must establish
tuition rates as follows:

(1) for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023
academic years, tuition rates for undergraduate
students at colleges and universities must not
be increased by more than 3.5 percent as
compared to the previous academic year,
except that a university may change base
tuition to adjust for the reduction of online
differential charges provided the change is
revenue-neutral; and

(2) the student tuition relief may not be offset
by increases in mandatory fees, charges, or
other assessments to the student. Colleges and
universities are permitted to increase
differential tuition charges in fiscal years 2022
and 2023 where costs for course or program
delivery have increased due to extraordinary
circumstances beyond the control of the
college or university. Rates and rationale must
be approved by the Board of Trustees.

(b) The Board of Trustees must request
guidance from the United States Department
of Education regarding whether it is
permissible to allocate federal funds received
under section 314 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021, as provided by
Public Law 116-260, and section 2003 of the
American Rescue Plan Act, as provided by
Public Law 117-2, to provide a tuition credit
for enrolled students or refund for students
who are no longer enrolled in an amount equal
to the amount of the online differential tuition
rate charged to students for courses moved
online due to the coronavirus pandemic during
the 2020-2021 academic year that were not
offered as online courses during the previous
academic year. If the department advises that
this is a permissible use of the federal funds,
institutions must issue such tuition credits to
enrolled students and must inform students
who are no longer enrolled in the institution
of their eligibility for a refund. In order to
receive a refund, the student must apply for
the refund.

(c) $5,700,000 in fiscal year 2022 and
$5,700,000 in fiscal year 2023 are to provide
supplemental aid for operations and
maintenance to the president of each two-year
institution in the system with at least one
campus that is not located in a metropolitan
county, as defined in Minnesota Statutes,
section 473.121, subdivision 4. The board
shall transfer at least $158,000 for each
campus not located in a metropolitan county
in each year to the president of each institution
that includes such a campus.

(d) The Board of Trustees is requested to help
Minnesota close the attainment gap by funding
activities which improve retention and
completion for students of color.

(e) $4,500,000 in fiscal year 2022 and
deleted text begin $4,500,000 deleted text end new text begin $24,500,000 new text end in fiscal year 2023
are for workforce development scholarships
under Minnesota Statutes, section 136F.38. new text begin
Of this amount, $15,000,000 in the second
year and later must be used for scholarships
to students enrolled in a law enforcement
program of study. If there is a balance of
unobligated funds to law enforcement students
by February 15 of each year, the board may
reallocate the balance to other purposes under
this paragraph. The base for this appropriation
is $24,500,000 for fiscal year 2024 and later.
new text end

(f) $300,000 in fiscal year 2022 and $300,000
in fiscal year 2023 are for transfer to the Cook
County Higher Education Board to provide
educational programming, workforce
development, and academic support services
to remote regions in northeastern Minnesota.
The Cook County Higher Education Board
shall continue to provide information to the
Board of Trustees on the number of students
served, credit hours delivered, and services
provided to students.

(g) This appropriation includes $40,000 in
fiscal year 2022 and $40,000 in fiscal year
2023 to implement the sexual assault policies
required under Minnesota Statutes, section
135A.15.

(h) This appropriation includes $8,000,000 in
fiscal year 2022 and $8,000,000 in fiscal year
2023 for upgrading the Integrated Statewide
Record System.

(i) This appropriation includes $250,000 in
fiscal year 2022 and $250,000 in fiscal year
2023 to implement the Z-Degree program
under Minnesota Statutes, section 136F.305.
The base for this appropriation is $50,000 in
fiscal year 2024 and later.

(j) $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2022 is for the
mental health awareness program for students
required under Minnesota Statutes, section
136F.20, subdivision 4. Of this amount:
$500,000 must be used for training
opportunities under Minnesota Statutes,
section 136F.20, subdivision 4, paragraph (a),
clause (2); and $200,000 must be used for
grants to colleges and universities to establish
peer support pilot programs in Minnesota
Statutes, section 136F.20, subdivision 4,
paragraph (c). The Board of Trustees shall
convene a committee that includes students to
review and approve grant applications.
Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section
16A.28, unencumbered balances under this
paragraph do not cancel until July 1, 2025.

(k) $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 is for
colleges and universities to comply with the
student basic needs requirements under
Minnesota Statutes, section 136F.202. The
Board of Trustees must use at least 25 percent
of this appropriation for grants to colleges and
universities to comply with Minnesota
Statutes, section 136F.202, subdivision 1,
paragraph (a). The board must use a
consultation and committee process that
includes students to review and approve grant
applications. Notwithstanding Minnesota
Statutes, section 16A.28, unencumbered
balances under this paragraph do not cancel
until July 1, 2025.

(l) The total operations and maintenance base
for fiscal year 2024 and later is deleted text begin $751,095,000 deleted text end new text begin
$771,095,000 new text end .