Regular Session 2021-2022 House Bill 2639 P.N. 3184

PRINTER'S NO. 3184

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2639

Session of

2022

INTRODUCED BY E. NELSON, BERNSTINE, BROOKS, COOK, DAVANZO,

DOWLING, EMRICK, GROVE, HAMM, JONES, JOZWIAK, KAUFFMAN,

KEEFER, LEWIS, MADDEN, MAJOR, MERCURI, MOUL, PENNYCUICK,

RADER, ROWE, RYAN, SMITH, STRUZZI, ZIMMERMAN AND GLEIM,

JUNE 1, 2022

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 1, 2022

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," in ready-to-succeed scholarship,

further providing for agency; and providing for the Higher

Education Alternative Student Grant Program.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 2204-B(b)(1) of the act of March 10, 1949

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is

amended to read:

Section 2204-B. Agency.

* * *

(b) Eligibility criteria.--The eligibility criteria

developed for the receipt of a scholarship under subsection (a)

shall, at a minimum, require all of the following:

(1) Total annual household income shall be set by the

agency and may not [to] exceed [$110,000] $250,000. With each

new award year, the agency may annually adjust the total

annual household income threshold under this paragraph based

on the agency's available resources and to reflect any upward

changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers

(CPI-U) for the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and

Maryland area.

* * *

Section 2. The act is amended by adding an article to read:

ARTICLE XXII-C

HIGHER EDUCATION ALTERNATIVE STUDENT GRANT PROGRAM

Section 2201-C. Scope of article.

This article relates to the Higher Education Alternative

Student Grant Program.

Section 2202-C. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this article

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance

Agency.

"Committee." The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee.

"Grant program." The Higher Education Alternative Student

Grant Program established under section 2203-C.

"Ready-to-Succeed Scholarship Program." The program

established under Article XXII-B.

"State grant." A grant or scholarship awarded under the act

of January 25, 1966 (1965 P.L.1546, No.541), referred to as the

Higher Education Scholarship Law.

"Student grant." A grant awarded under this article.

"Targeted Industry Cluster Certificate Scholarship Program."

The program established under section 2599.4.

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"University of Pittsburgh." The university, including its

regional campuses, established under the act of July 28, 1966

(3rd Sp.Sess., P.L.87, No.3), known as the University of

Pittsburgh--Commonwealth Act.

Section 2203-C. Establishment.

The Higher Education Alternative Student Grant Program is

established in the agency.

Section 2204-C. Student grant.

(a) General rule.--The agency shall use funds appropriated

for the purpose of this article to provide grants to eligible

students to defray the cost of attending the University of

Pittsburgh if the University of Pittsburgh agrees to provide a

matching grant to an eligible student in an amount equal to or

greater than the amount of the matching grant provided to a

university student during the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

(b) Eligibility criteria.--To be eligible for the receipt of

a student grant under subsection (a), a student shall be:

(1) a current resident of this Commonwealth; and

(2) a student who is enrolled in an undergraduate

program at the University of Pittsburgh for the 2022-2023

school year on at least a half-time basis as defined by the

university.

prorate the amount of the grant award for students who are

enrolled in an undergraduate program at a State-related

university on less than a full-time basis.

(d) Funding.--Funding for this article shall be as follows:

(1) For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the grant program

shall be funded at an amount equal to the 2021-2022 fiscal

year nonpreferred general support appropriation for the

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University of Pittsburgh.

(2) For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the grant program

shall be funded at an amount equal to 75% of the 2021-2022

fiscal year nonpreferred general support appropriation for

the University of Pittsburgh.

(3) For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the grant program

shall be funded at an amount equal to 50% of the 2021-2022

fiscal year nonpreferred general support appropriation for

the University of Pittsburgh.

(4) For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the grant program

shall be funded at an amount equal to 25% of the 2021-2022

fiscal year nonpreferred general support appropriation for

the University of Pittsburgh.

(e) Combination.--A student of the University of Pittsburgh

may not be prohibited from receiving a student grant under

subsection (a) and a grant under the Pennsylvania State Grant

Program or other grants or loans as established by the agency,

provided the following apply:

(1) The amount of State-funded financial aid or grants

per academic year shall not exceed the cost of attendance at

the University of Pittsburgh.

(2) The amount of the grant award under the grant

program and the matching grant from the University of

Pittsburgh shall be applied before other State-funded

financial aid or grants.

(f) Guidelines.--The board of directors of the agency shall

have the authority to create guidelines for the administration

of the grant program.

Section 2205-C. Funding for other scholarship programs.

Beginning with the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the agency shall

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receive an amount equal to the difference between the amount

appropriated for the grant program and the 2021-2022 fiscal year

nonpreferred general support appropriation for the University of

Pittsburgh. The agency shall distribute these funds on a pro

rata basis to the State grant, Ready-to-Succeed Scholarship

Program and Targeted Industry Cluster Certificate Scholarship

Program.

Section 2206-C. Divestiture.

(a) Study.--The committee shall conduct a study to establish

a process for removing a State-related designation from

postsecondary institutions in the Commonwealth. The study shall

include the following:

(1) A process to return a State-related institution to a

status as a private institution of higher education within

five years of the effective date of this paragraph.

(2) A process for the phased removal of Commonwealth-

appointed Board of Trustees members from the board of a

State-related institution.

(3) Identifying any and all existing Commonwealth

statutes that would need to be amended or repealed in order

to remove the State-related status of a postsecondary

institution.

(4) Identifying all Commonwealth-owned property and

buildings on a State-related institution's campuses and a

recommendation on the transfer or sale of that property to

the State-related institution.

(5) An assessment of any potential fiscal impacts

incurred by the institution due to the loss of its State-

related status.

(b) Report submission.--The committee shall submit a final

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report with recommendations to the General Assembly no later

than May 1, 2023, for review and any appropriate legislative

action.

related institution" shall mean The Pennsylvania State

University, the University of Pittsburgh and Temple University

and any branch campus.

Section 3. This act shall take effect as follows:

(1) This section shall take effect immediately.

(2) The addition of Article XXII-C shall take effect

July 1, 2022, or immediately, whichever occurs first.

(3) The remainder of this act shall take effect July 1,

2023.

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