261.130 Skilled workforce shortage tuition grant program.
1. A skilled workforce shortage tuition grant may be awarded to any resident of Iowa who is admitted and in attendance as a full-time or part-time student in a career-technical or career option program to pursue an associate’s degree or other training at a community college in the state, and who establishes financial need.
2. Skilled workforce shortage tuition grants shall be awarded only to students pursuing a career-technical or career option program in an industry identified as having a shortage of skilled workers by a community college after conducting a regional skills gap analysis or as being a high-demand job by the department of workforce development in the department’s most recent list of high-demand jobs. If a community college no longer identifies the industry as having a shortage of skilled workers or the department no longer identifies the industry as a high-demand job, an eligible student who received a grant for a career-technical or career option program based on that identification shall continue to receive the grant until achieving a postsecondary credential, up to an associate degree, as long as the student is continuously enrolled in that program and continues to meet all other eligibility requirements.
3. The amount of a skilled workforce shortage tuition grant shall not exceed the lesser of one-half of a student’s tuition and fees for an approved career-technical or career option program or the amount of the student’s established financial need.
4. All classes identified by the community college as required for completion of the student’s approved career-technical or career option program shall be considered a part of the student’s career-technical or career option program for the purpose of determining the student’s eligibility for a grant. Notwithstanding subsection 5, if a student is making satisfactory academic progress but the student cannot complete a career-technical or career option program in the time frame allowed for a student to receive a skilled workforce shortage tuition grant as provided in subsection 5 because additional classes are required to complete the program, the student may continue to receive a skilled workforce shortage tuition grant for not more than one additional enrollment period.
5. a. A qualified full-time student may receive skilled workforce shortage tuition grants for not more than four semesters or the trimester or quarter equivalent of two full years of study. A qualified part-time student enrolled in a course of study including at least three semester hours but fewer than twelve semester hours or the trimester or quarter equivalent may receive skilled workforce shortage tuition grants for not more than eight semesters or the trimester or quarter equivalent of two full years of full-time study.
b. However, if a student resumes study after at least a two-year absence, the student may again be eligible for the specified amount of time, except that the student shall not receive assistance for courses for which credit was previously received.
6. A skilled workforce shortage tuition grant shall be awarded on an annual basis, requiring reapplication by the student for each year. Payments under the grant shall be allocated equally among the semesters or quarters of the year upon certification by the community college that the student is in full-time or part-time attendance in a career-technical or career option program consistent with the requirements of this section. If the student discontinues attendance before the end of any term after receiving payment of the grant, the entire amount of any refund due that student, up to the amount of any payments made under the annual grant, shall be paid by the community college to the state.
7. If a student receives financial aid under any other program, the full amount of that financial aid shall be considered part of the student’s financial resources available in determining the amount of the student’s financial need for that period.
8. The commission shall administer this program and shall:
a. Provide application forms for distribution to students by Iowa high schools and community colleges.
b. Adopt rules for approving career-technical or career option programs in industries identified by the department of workforce development; determining financial need; defining residence for the purposes of this section; processing and approving applications for grants; and determining priority for grants.
c. Approve and award grants on an annual basis.
d. Make an annual report to the governor and general assembly. The report shall include the number of students receiving assistance and the industries identified by the community colleges and by the department of workforce development for which students were admitted to a career-technical or career option program.
9. Each applicant, in accordance with the rules established by the commission, shall:
a. Complete and file an application for a skilled workforce shortage tuition grant.
b. Be responsible for the submission of the financial information required for evaluation of the applicant’s need for a grant, on forms determined by the commission.
c. Report promptly to the commission any information requested.
d. Submit a new application for reevaluation of the applicant’s eligibility to receive a second-year renewal of the grant.
2012 Acts, ch 1132, §20; 2019 Acts, ch 31, §1, 2; 2020 Acts, ch 1063, §102
Subsection 8, paragraph b amended