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H.B. 64

             1     

TUITION WAIVERS FOR WARDS OF THE

             2     
STATE

             3     
2001 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Richard M. Siddoway

             6      This act modifies provisions related to the State System of Higher Education by extending
             7      tuition waivers to wards of the state. The act provides for reimbursement of those waivers
             8      by the Division of Child and Family Services.
             9      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             10      ENACTS:
             11          53B-8d-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             12          53B-8d-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             13          53B-8d-103, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             14          53B-8d-104, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             15      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             16          Section 1. Section 53B-8d-101 is enacted to read:
             17     
CHAPTER 8d. TUITION WAIVERS FOR WARDS OF THE STATE ACT

             18          53B-8d-101. Title.
             19          This chapter is known as the "Tuition Waivers for Wards of the State Act."
             20          Section 2. Section 53B-8d-102 is enacted to read:
             21          53B-8d-102. Definitions.
             22          As used in this chapter:
             23          (1) "Division" means the Division of Child and Family Services.
             24          (2) "Long-term foster care" means an individual who remains in the custody of the
             25      division, whether or not the individual resides with licensed foster parents or in independent living
             26      arrangements under the supervision of the division.
             27          (3) "State institution of higher education" means those institutions designated in Section


             28      53B-1-102 .
             29          (4) "Tuition" means tuition at the rate for residents of the state.
             30          (5) "Ward of the state" means an individual:
             31          (a) who is at least 17 years of age and not older than 26 years of age;
             32          (b) who had a permanency goal in the individual's treatment plan, as defined in Sections
             33      62A-4a-205 and 78-3a-312 , of long-term foster care while in the custody of the division; and
             34          (c) for whom the custody of the division was not terminated as a result of adoption.
             35          Section 3. Section 53B-8d-103 is enacted to read:
             36          53B-8d-103. Tuition waivers for wards of the state.
             37          (1) Beginning in the 2001-02 academic year, and subject to the limitations in Subsections
             38      (2), (3), and (4), a state institution of higher education shall waive tuition for each ward of the state
             39      who meets the following requirements:
             40          (a) applies, qualifies, and is admitted as a full-time, part-time, or summer school student
             41      in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate;
             42          (b) is a resident student of the state as determined under Section 53B-8-102 ;
             43          (c) applies to the division for a waiver of tuition under this chapter and provides evidence
             44      satisfactory to the division that:
             45          (i) the applicant was in the custody of the division for an aggregate period of not less than
             46      24 months; and
             47          (ii) the course or courses for which the applicant is seeking a tuition waiver meet the
             48      requirements of Subsection (2);
             49          (d) applies under Subsection (1)(c) for the first time before the age of 22;
             50          (e) is certified by the financial aid officer at the higher education institution as needing the
             51      tuition waiver in order to meet recognized educational expenses;
             52          (f) maintains satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the institution of higher
             53      education, for each term or semester in which the individual is enrolled, which may be measured
             54      by the definition used for federal student assistance programs under Title IV of the Higher
             55      Education Act of 1965; and
             56          (g) has not achieved a bachelor's degree and has received tuition reimbursement under this
             57      chapter for less than 124 semester credits or 180 quarter credits at an institution of higher
             58      education.


             59          (2) A ward of the state is eligible for a tuition waiver under this section of not more than
             60      nine semesters.
             61          (3) Tuition shall be waived:
             62          (a) after the individual has applied for financial assistance, including scholarships and Pell
             63      Grants; and
             64          (b) only to the extent that the tuition is not covered or paid by any scholarship, trust fund,
             65      statutory benefit, Pell Grant, or any other source of tuition coverage available for a waiver under
             66      this chapter.
             67          (4) An institution of higher education shall waive tuition under this chapter only for
             68      courses that are applicable toward the degree or certificate requirements of the program in which
             69      the student is enrolled.
             70          Section 4. Section 53B-8d-104 is enacted to read:
             71          53B-8d-104. Notice of tuition waiver approval -- Annual appropriation.
             72          (1) Upon receiving an application under Section 53B-8d-103 , the division shall determine
             73      whether the applicant and the courses for which tuition waiver is sought meet the requirements of
             74      Section 53B-8d-103 and, if so, shall approve the application and notify the higher education
             75      institution that the application has been approved.
             76          (2) The division shall provide the necessary forms and applications and cooperate with the
             77      state's institutions of higher education in developing efficient procedures for the implementation
             78      of this chapter.
             79          (3) The division shall reimburse the state's institutions of higher education for any tuition
             80      waived under this chapter.
             81          (4) The division shall annually report to the Legislature's Higher Education Appropriations
             82      Subcommittee on the number of individuals for whom tuition has been waived at each institution
             83      and the total amounts reimbursed by the division under this chapter for the fiscal year.
             84          (5) The Legislature may annually appropriate the funds necessary to implement this
             85      chapter, including moneys to offset the reimbursement of tuition waivers.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 12-12-00 11:28 AM


A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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