Chapter 300
2010 -- S 2525
Enacted 06/25/10
A N A C T
RELATING TO
STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES'
HIGHER EDUCATION
Introduced By: Senator Maryellen Goodwin
Date Introduced: February 11, 2010
It is enacted by the
General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 42-72.8-2 and 42-72.8-3 of the General
Laws in Chapter 42-72.8
entitled "Department of Children, Youth, and Families'
Higher Education Opportunity Incentive
Grant" are hereby amended to read as follows:
42-72.8-2.
Administration of program. -- (a) Each year the department shall identify
and recommend from among youth in its legal custody, or
who were in the Department's legal
custody on their eighteenth (18th) birthday, those students
who may be eligible to apply for a
Higher Education
education shall afford all appropriate assistance to the
department in the identification of youth
who may be eligible for such grants. Each selected
applicant will receive grants to supplement
federal, state and institutional scholarships, and
grants and loans awarded to the applicant in an
amount not to exceed the full cost of tuition, fees and room
and board charges:
(b) A grant period
shall be limited to two (2) years of full-time study at the Community
University of
years. Grant recipients shall be enrolled full-time and
shall continue to make satisfactory progress
toward an academic certificate or degree as determined by
the school in which they are enrolled;
(c) The department
shall make recommendations for grant awards from among those
youth who:
(1) Have not yet
reached the age of eighteen (18) on the day of recommendation, are in
the legal custody of the department on the day of
recommendation and have remained in such
custody for at least twenty-four (24) months prior to the day
of recommendation; or, for former
foster care, have reached the age of eighteen (18) prior to
the date of recommendation, have not
yet reached the age of twenty-one (21) and were in the
custody of the department from their
sixteenth (16th) to their eighteenth (18th) birthdays; and
(2) Have graduated from
high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma
not more than one year prior to the date of
recommendation; and
(3) Has not reached
his/her twenty-first (21st) birthday.;
except that youth who are
participating in this program on the date before his/her
twenty-first (21st) birthday may remain
eligible until his/her twenty-third (23rd) birthday, as long
as he/she continues to be considered a
full-time student by
Rhode Island, and is making satisfactory progress, as
determined by the school in which he/she is
enrolled, toward completion of his/her degree program.
42-72.8-3.
Selection of grant recipients. -- (a) There shall be a grant award selection
committee which shall consist of a representative from each of
the institutions of higher education
appointed by their respective presidents, two (2)
representatives from the department of children,
youth, and families appointed by the director, one
representative from the department of
elementary and secondary education appointed by the
commissioner, and one representative from
the office of higher education appointed by the
commissioner and representatives of other
organizations that the director of department of children, youth
and families believes can help
further the goals of the program.
(b) Grant awards shall
be made on the basis of scholastic record, aptitude, financial need
and general interest in higher education. Recipients must
comply with all application deadlines
and criteria for admission to the institution to which
the recipient is making application and,
further, the recipient must have been granted admission by
the admissions office of the
institution. Cumulative grant awards shall not exceed available
appropriations in any fiscal year.
The selection committee department shall
adopt rules and regulations, which are reasonably
necessary to implement a process of grant recipient
selection.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC01260
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