SECOND REGULAR SESSION
94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES ZWEIFEL (Sponsor), LeVOTA, CORCORAN, LIESE, QUINN (9), PAGE, WILDBERGER, LOW (39), SCHIEFFER, WHORTON, SCHOEMEHL, SPRENG, ROBINSON, TALBOY, GRILL, YAEGER, OXFORD, WALSH, BURNETT, HOLSMAN, STORCH AND KUESSNER (Co-sponsors).
Read 1st time January 16, 2008 and copies ordered printed.
D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapter 173, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the Missouri Education Promise program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 173.975, to read as follows:
173.975. 1. There is hereby established in the department of higher education a program of tuition and book cost reimbursement, to be known as the "Missouri Education Promise", for students who have completed the forty-two-hour core course requirements for general education, as approved by the department of higher education, through their participation in the A+ program created under section 160.545, RSMo, subject to the further requirements of this section.
2. The program shall provide tuition, general fee, and book cost reimbursement for an eligible student for no more than sixty semester hours at a Missouri public four-year institution of higher education over a period of no more than three academic years since the student completed the forty-two-hour core course requirement referred to in subsection 1 of this section.
3. To be eligible, each student shall:
(1) Enter into a written agreement with the four-year institution to perform fifty hours of unpaid community service prior to graduation; and
(2) Have maintained an overall grade point average of three points or higher on a four-point scale during the student's enrollment under the A+ program.
4. To maintain eligibility, each student shall during the period of reimbursement availability:
(1) Enroll in and attend on a full-time basis a Missouri public four-year institution of higher education;
(2) Maintain a grade point average of three points or higher on a four-point scale; and
(3) Complete fifty hours of unpaid community service by the middle of the term in which the student has applied for graduation.
In the event a student's cumulative grade point average falls below three points on a four-point scale at the end of a semester, he or she shall be granted a one-semester grace period from the grade point requirement of subdivision (2) of this subsection. If the student's grades in the subsequent semester are insufficient to raise the student's cumulative average to three points or more on a four-point scale, the student shall lose eligibility for the program established under this section.
5. The reimbursement shall be made available, subject to legislative appropriation, only after the student has made a documented good faith effort to first secure all available federal postsecondary student financial assistance funds that do not require repayment. The financial incentives will only be made available to reimburse tuition costs, general fees, and up to fifty percent of book costs, subject to legislative appropriation after the federal postsecondary student financial assistance funds have been applied to these costs.
6. If changes must be made to the reimbursement due to legislative appropriation, the department shall endeavor to reimburse, in the following order of priority:
(1) The amount of tuition;
(2) The general fees; and
(3) Up to fifty percent of the book costs.
7. Missouri public four-year institutions shall verify for each student intending to participate in the program:
(1) During the first semester of the student’s participation:
(a) Student eligibility has been received from the A+ postsecondary institution program;
(b) Enrollment as a full-time student;
(c) A good faith effort has been made to secure federal postsecondary student financial assistance funds; and
(d) After federal postsecondary student financial assistance funds are applied, the student will receive tuition and general fee reimbursement and up to fifty percent of book costs, subject to legislative appropriation, to attend that institution; and
(2) During the second and subsequent semesters of the student's participation:
(a) The eligible student continues to be enrolled as a full-time student;
(b) Good faith efforts continue to be made to secure federal postsecondary student financial assistance funds;
(c) The student has earned and maintains a grade point average of three points or higher on a four-point scale; and
(d) After federal postsecondary student financial assistance funds are applied, the student will receive tuition and general fee reimbursement and up to fifty percent of the book costs, subject to legislative appropriation, to attend that institution.
8. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, RSMo, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536, RSMo, and, if applicable, section 536.028, RSMo. This section and chapter 536, RSMo, are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536, RSMo, to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2008, shall be invalid and void.
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