SENATE BILL 657
52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015
INTRODUCED BY
Michael S. Sanchez
AN ACT
RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; MAKING THE LOTTERY TUITION SCHOLARSHIP A FULL SCHOLARSHIP BASED ON FINANCIAL NEED.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. Section 21-21N-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2014, Chapter 80, Section 2) is amended to read:
"21-21N-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act:
A. "community college" means a branch community college of a state educational institution or a community college or technical and vocational institute established pursuant to Chapter 21, Article 13 or 16 NMSA 1978, respectively;
B. "comprehensive institution" means eastern
New Mexico university, western New Mexico university,
New Mexico highlands university or northern New Mexico college;
C. "department" means the higher education department;
D. "full time" means fifteen or more credit hours each semester of the regular academic year in state educational institutions and twelve or more credit hours each semester of the regular academic year in community colleges or for legacy students in any program semester;
E. "fund" means the lottery tuition fund;
F. "legacy student" means a full-time resident student who has received for three or more program semesters by the end of fiscal year 2014 the legislative lottery scholarship awarded pursuant to the former provisions of Sections 21-1-4.3, 21-13-10 and 21-16-10.1 NMSA 1978 prior to the enactment of the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act;
G. "program semesters" means those semesters for which a legacy or qualified student may receive a tuition scholarship and excludes the first semester of attendance at a public post-secondary educational institution;
H. "public post-secondary educational institution" means a community college, comprehensive institution, research institution or state educational institution;
I. "qualified student" means a full-time student who demonstrates financial need and who graduated from a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or who received a high school equivalency credential while maintaining residency in New Mexico and who:
(1) either:
(a) immediately upon graduation or receipt of a credential was accepted for entrance to and attended a public post-secondary educational institution; or
(b) within one hundred twenty days of completion of a high school curriculum or receipt of a high school equivalency credential began service in the United States armed forces and within one year of completion of honorable service or medical discharge from the service, attended a public post-secondary educational institution; and
(2) successfully completed the first semester at a public post-secondary educational institution with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale during the first semester of full-time enrollment;
J. "research institution" means the university of New Mexico, New Mexico state university or New Mexico institute of mining and technology;
K. "state educational institution" means an institution of higher education enumerated in Article 12, Section 11 of the constitution of New Mexico and excludes a research institution; and
L. "tuition scholarship" means the scholarship that provides tuition assistance per semester for a qualified student or legacy student attending a public post-secondary educational institution."
SECTION 2. Section 21-21N-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2014, Chapter 80, Section 3) is amended to read:
"21-21N-3. TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS AUTHORIZED--QUALIFIED STUDENTS.--
A. To the extent that funds are made available by the legislature from the fund, the boards of regents or governing bodies of public post-secondary educational institutions shall award tuition scholarships in department-approved amounts to qualified students and legacy students attending their respective public post-secondary educational institutions.
B. Beginning in fiscal year 2015:
(1) a legacy student is eligible to receive a tuition scholarship until the total number of semesters for which the legislative lottery scholarship was received pursuant to the former provisions of Sections 21-1-4.3, 21-13-10 and
21-16-10.1 NMSA 1978 or the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act reaches eight; provided that the legacy student maintains residency in New Mexico, maintains a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale and completes twelve or more credit hours per semester; and
(2) a qualified student who is not a legacy student is eligible to receive [the] a full tuition scholarship for a maximum of [seven] eight program semesters [and in an amount determined pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 of the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act].
C. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a tuition scholarship may be awarded to a qualified student [who]:
(1) who maintains residency in New Mexico;
(2) who maintains a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale; [and]
(3) who completes:
(a) for a student attending a four-year public post-secondary educational institution, fifteen or more credit hours per semester; and
(b) for a student attending a two-year public post-secondary educational institution, twelve or more credit hours per semester; and
(4) whose family's net household income does not exceed seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000).
D. For students with disabilities who may require accommodations, the department, in consultation with the student and the office at the public post-secondary educational institution that serves students with disabilities, shall review both the definition of "full time" and the maximum number of consecutive semesters of eligibility and adjust either or both as deemed reasonable and appropriate, based on the student's disability needs. In no case, however, shall "full time" mean fewer than six credit hours per semester, and in no case shall eligibility extend beyond fourteen consecutive semesters."
SECTION 3. Section 21-21N-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2014, Chapter 80, Section 4) is amended to read:
"21-21N-4. TUITION SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT--FUND.--
[A. Prior to June 1 of each year, based on the amount appropriated] Subject to appropriation by the legislature from the fund [and on the projected enrollment at all public post-secondary educational institutions], the department shall
[(1) determine the total amount of money available for all tuition scholarships for qualified students;
(2) determine the uniform percentage by which to calculate tuition scholarships for qualified students attending any public post-secondary educational institution; and
(3) notify all public post-secondary educational institutions of the determinations made pursuant to Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection.
B. In determining distribution and award amounts for the tuition scholarship program, the department shall:
(1) maintain the minimum fund balance pursuant to Section 5 of the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act;
(2) distribute to all public post-secondary educational institutions an amount not to exceed the remaining balance in the fund; and
(3) subject to the provisions of Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection] distribute to each public post-secondary educational institution an amount based on:
[(a)] A. the projected enrollment at each comprehensive institution, research institution and state educational institution of qualified students in their second through eighth semesters, including qualified students in their fifth through eighth semesters who transferred from community colleges;
[(b)] B. the projected enrollment at each community college of qualified students in their second through fourth semesters; and
[(c) a uniform percentage of]
C. the average of in-state tuition costs charged by:
[1)] (1) research institutions for each research institution;
[2)] (2) comprehensive institutions for each comprehensive institution; and
[3)] (3) community colleges for each community college."
SECTION 4. Section 21-21N-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1995, Chapter 155, Section 23, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-21N-5. LOTTERY TUITION FUND CREATED--PURPOSE.--
A. The "lottery tuition fund" is created in the state treasury. The fund shall be administered by the department. Earnings from investment of the fund shall accrue to the credit of the fund. The fund shall maintain an annual average balance of [two million dollars ($2,000,000) one million dollars ($1,000,000), and any balance in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall remain in the fund for appropriation by the legislature as provided in this section.
B. Money in the fund shall be appropriated by the legislature to the department for distribution to New Mexico's public post-secondary educational institutions to provide tuition assistance for qualified students and legacy students as provided in the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act."
SECTION 5. Section 21-21N-6 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2014, Chapter 80, Section 6) is amended to read:
"21-21N-6. DEPARTMENT RULEMAKING AND REPORTING.--
A. The department shall promulgate rules setting forth explicit criteria in accordance with the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act for [(1)] student qualification and continuing eligibility [and (2) calculating the tuition scholarship award amount pursuant to Section 4 of the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act and guidelines for the administration of the tuition scholarship program].
B. The department shall report by November 1 of each year to the legislative finance committee and the department of finance and administration on:
(1) the status of the fund;
(2) tuition scholarship program
participation data aggregated for each public post-secondary educational institution to show:
(a) the number of qualified students and the number of legacy students who received tuition scholarships in the prior twelve-month period;
(b) the total number of students, including qualified students and legacy students, enrolled in the prior twelve-month period;
(c) for each semester, the amount of tuition scholarships funded and the amount of tuition costs that were not offset by the tuition scholarship; and
(d) the number of qualified students and the number of legacy students who graduated with a degree and, for each qualified student, the number of consecutive semesters and nonconsecutive semesters attended prior to graduation; and
(3) any additional information required or requested by the legislative finance committee or the department of finance and administration."
SECTION 6. A new section of the Legislative Lottery Tuition Scholarship Act is enacted to read:
"[NEW MATERIAL] LOTTERY TUITION SCHOLARSHIP--APPLICATION BY STUDENT.--Prior to consideration for a lottery tuition scholarship each year, a student shall submit to the intended public post-secondary educational institution a completed:
A. lottery tuition scholarship application form developed by the public post-secondary educational institution or the department; or
B. free application for federal student aid provided pursuant to the federal Higher Education Act of 1965."
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