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PRINTER'S NO. 53
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
72
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, VULAKOVICH, BAKER, ARGALL, SCHWANK,
BREWSTER, SCARNATI, RESCHENTHALER, COSTA, WARD, YUDICHAK,
YAW, HUTCHINSON, WHITE, RAFFERTY, STEFANO AND BOSCOLA,
JANUARY 12, 2017
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 12, 2017
AN ACT
Establishing the Volunteer Emergency Service Personnel
Educational Assistance and Loan Forgiveness Program; and
prescribing powers and duties of the Pennsylvania Higher
Education Assistance Agency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer
Emergency Service Personnel Educational Assistance and Loan
Forgiveness Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
Agency.
"Applicant." An active member of a volunteer fire company,
emergency service team or rescue team.
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"Approved institution of higher learning." An educational
institution offering a postsecondary program of education,
including vocational schools located in this Commonwealth and
approved by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
"Approved program of education." A degree-granting or
certificate-granting curriculum or course of study pursued at an
approved institution of higher learning on a full-time or part-
time basis or its equivalent as determined by the Pennsylvania
Higher Education Assistance Agency.
"Full-time student." A student enrolled in an approved
institution of higher learning pursuing an approved program of
education equal to or greater than 12 credit hours or its
equivalent recognized by the Pennsylvania Higher Education
Assistance Agency as a full-time course of study.
"Part-time student." A student enrolled in an approved
institution of higher learning pursuing an approved program of
education of less than 12 credit hours or its equivalent
recognized by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
Agency as a part-time course of study.
"Program." The Volunteer Emergency Service Personnel
Educational Assistance and Loan Forgiveness Program established
in section 3.
Section 3. Educational Assistance and Loan Forgiveness Program.
The Volunteer Emergency Service Personnel Educational
Assistance and Loan Forgiveness Program is established in the
agency to provide grants to applicants or allow applicants to
receive payments by the agency for debt incurred as a result of
student loans entered into for the purpose of pursuing programs
of education. Applicants shall be entered in the program upon
receipt of their first grant or loan forgiveness payment and
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shall remain in the program for a period not exceeding five
academic years.
Section 4. Educational assistance eligibility.
An applicant shall be eligible to receive educational
assistance under this act if the applicant meets all of the
following eligibility criteria:
(1) The applicant is a qualified resident of this
Commonwealth.
(2) The applicant has been an active member, as
determined by the State Fire Commissioner, of a volunteer
fire company, emergency service team or rescue team for a
period of at least one year in this Commonwealth.
(3) The applicant has enrolled as a student in an
approved program of education at an approved institution of
higher learning.
(4) The applicant provides the approved institution of
higher learning with a sworn or official statement of fact by
the State Fire Commissioner, president or commissioner of a
volunteer fire department of which the applicant is a
volunteer, attesting that the applicant is a member in good
standing of the volunteer fire company, emergency service
team or rescue team.
Section 5. Grants.
(a) Provision.--From the funds specifically appropriated for
the purposes of this act, grants shall be provided by the agency
to eligible members for the purpose of pursuing approved
programs of education.
(b) Promissory notes.--At the receipt of the grant, an
eligible member shall sign a promissory note to repay the full
amount of the grant. The promissory note shall be conditional
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upon termination of active membership status with a volunteer
fire company, emergency service team or rescue team in this
Commonwealth.
Section 6. Amount of grants.
(a) Part-time student assistance grants.--A grant awarded
pursuant to this act to a part-time student applicant shall be
determined by the agency and shall not exceed for each academic
year the amount of one-half the tuition of the part-time course
of study in which the part-time student applicant is enrolled.
(b) Full-time student assistance grants.--Grants awarded
pursuant to this act to full-time student applicants shall be
determined by the agency and shall not exceed $3,700 per
academic year or the actual amount of the applicant's tuition
for the academic year, whichever is less.
(c) Other grants.--The agency shall not reduce the amount of
other agency grants or aid for which an applicant qualifies on
account of the applicant's eligibility for or receipt of grants
under this act.
Section 7. Loan forgiveness eligibility.
An applicant shall be eligible to receive loan forgiveness
payments under this act if the applicant meets all of the
following eligibility criteria:
(1) The applicant is a qualified resident of this
Commonwealth.
(2) The applicant has been an active member, as
determined by the State Fire Commissioner, of a volunteer
fire company, emergency service team or rescue team for a
period of at least one year in this Commonwealth.
(3) The applicant has enrolled as a student in an
approved program of education at an approved institution of
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higher learning.
(4) The applicant provides the approved institution of
higher learning with a sworn or official statement of fact by
the State Fire Commissioner, president or commissioner of a
volunteer fire department of which the applicant is a
volunteer, attesting that the applicant is a member in good
standing of the volunteer fire company, emergency service
team or rescue team.
Section 8. Payments.
(a) General rule.--An applicant is eligible for payment by
the agency of a portion of the debt incurred by the applicant
through agency-administered guaranteed student loan programs for
the education necessary to successfully complete a particular
course of study.
(b) Amounts to be forgiven.--For each year that an applicant
is a member of a volunteer fire company, emergency service team
or rescue team, the agency may forgive a proportional part of
the applicant's loan so that the loan may be entirely forgiven
over a maximum period of five years in which the applicant is
attending an approved institution of higher learning.
(c) Maximum amounts.--No more than $2,000 shall be forgiven
in any year, and no more than $10,000 shall be forgiven for an
applicant over a five-year period.
(d) Procedure.--Payments shall be made in accordance with
procedures established by the agency. A loan forgiveness payment
shall not be made for a loan that is in default at the time of
application.
Section 9. Limitations.
(a) Time.--No eligible member shall receive assistance
grants or loan forgiveness payments under this act for a total
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of more than five academic years or their equivalent as
determined by the agency.
(b) Active membership status.--No grant payments or loan
forgiveness payments shall be made under this act except during
the eligible member's term of service as an active member of a
volunteer fire company, emergency service team or rescue team.
Section 10. Administration.
The General Assembly shall appropriate funds for educational
assistance grants and loan forgiveness payments under this act.
A portion of the funds appropriated may be used to pay the costs
of the administration of this act.
Section 11. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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