Tennessee § 49-4-930 - Dual enrollment grant for high school students.

§ 49-4-930. Dual enrollment grant for high school students.

As used in this section: “Certificate” or “diploma” has the same meaning as defined in § 49-4-902, except that “certificate” or “diploma” also means a credential, other than a degree, the receipt of which indicates satisfactory completion of training in a program of study offered by a community college operated by the board of regents of the state university and community college system; and “Course” includes a course taken at an eligible postsecondary institution, or the equivalent at a Tennessee college of applied technology. A high school student who is also enrolled in an eligible postsecondary institution is eligible for a dual enrollment grant, if the student: Is not ineligible for the grant under § 49-4-904; Is a resident of this state, as classified pursuant to § 49-8-104; Is admitted to an eligible postsecondary institution as a dual enrollment student; and Applies for the dual enrollment grant each academic year in which the student takes a dual enrollment course. A student receiving a dual enrollment grant may enroll in one (1) course per semester at an eligible postsecondary institution under the following conditions: To be eligible for a dual enrollment grant for a semester beyond the first semester of receipt in an academic year, the student must continue to meet all eligibility requirements for the grant and must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 for all postsecondary courses attempted under a dual enrollment grant; and Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(1), a student enrolled in a clock hour course that is not completed within one (1) semester, maintains eligibility for the grant in the subsequent semester so long as the student attends the number of clock hours required for grant disbursement for that course and continues to meet all eligibility requirements. A student receiving a dual enrollment grant may enroll in two (2) additional courses per semester at an eligible postsecondary institution as a dual enrollment student, if the student: Is a junior or senior in high school; and Has qualified academically for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship by attaining the required composite ACT score or the concordant equivalent score on the SAT; or Has achieved an high school grade point average of at least 3.0 for all high school work completed prior to the semester of enrollment as a dual enrollment student, if the student is enrolled in an eligible high school. A course attempted as a dual enrollment student does not count toward the limitation on receiving a Tennessee HOPE scholarship under § 49-4-913. Financial assistance received for all dual enrollment courses attempted after the fourth course reduces the amount of any subsequent award of the Tennessee HOPE scholarship on a dollar-for-dollar basis. lf a dual enrollment student enrolls in an eligible public postsecondary institution after graduation from high school, then the eligible public postsecondary institution shall not deny credit toward an associate or baccalaureate degree for any college course taken as a dual enrollment student if the student successfully completed the course. lf the dual enrollment course was not taken at the institution in which the student enrolls after graduation from high school, then the course qualifies for transfer credit. It is the intent of the general assembly that: Funding for Tennessee HOPE scholarships, Tennessee HOPE access grants, and Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grants take priority over funding for dual enrollment grants; and The dual enrollment grant program be fully funded before any funds in the lottery for education account are transferred to the Tennessee Promise scholarship endowment fund pursuant to § 49-4-708. Subject to the amounts appropriated by the general assembly and any law relating to a shortfall in funds available for postsecondary financial assistance from the net proceeds of the state lottery, a student who is eligible to receive a dual enrollment grant pursuant to this section is eligible to receive a dual enrollment grant for no more than ten (10) courses. TSAC's board of directors shall determine the award for a credit hour taken under a dual enrollment grant. TSAC's board of directors shall not award an amount for a credit hour taken under a dual enrollment grant that exceeds the cost per credit hour of courses taken at community colleges in the state university and community college system. Notwithstanding subsection (g), it is the intent of the general assembly that the award for dual enrollment courses annually identified as high-need by TSAC's board of directors pursuant to this subsection (h) covers the cost of maintenance fees for no more than four (4) courses attempted by a student under the following limitations: The maximum award for courses at eligible two-year and four-year postsecondary institutions must not exceed the maintenance fees established annually for the community colleges by the state university and community college system; and The maximum award at Tennessee colleges of applied technology must not exceed the maintenance fees associated with the attempted average clock hours weighted by program participation among dual enrollment students. This award amount must be calculated annually using the maintenance fees established by the state university and community college system. TSAC's board of directors may consider the following reports, in addition to other relevant information, to identify high-need courses for which a student is eligible to receive an award described in this section: The annual workforce and credential report described in § 49-7-112; and The annual workforce needs report described in § 49-7-1209. TSAC is authorized to promulgate rules to establish award amounts at the eligible postsecondary institutions and to otherwise effectuate the purposes of this section. The rules shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. Acts 2005, ch. 481, § 21; 2008, ch. 1142, §§ 10, 26; 2011, ch. 427, §§ 1, 2; 2011, ch. 488, § 8; 2017, ch. 328, § 5; 2017, ch. 471, § 1; 2019, ch. 203, § 2; 2019, ch. 463, §§ 1, 2; 2019, ch. 482, §§ 1, 2; 2020, ch. 794, §§ 44-47. Compiler's Notes. Acts 2008, ch. 1142, § 23 provided that it is the legislative intent, when additional net lottery proceeds become available in a subsequent fiscal year, that the next funding priority should be adding additional semesters to the established eligibility retention requirements for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship for students who earn a cumulative 2.75 grade point average. Acts 2008, ch. 1142, § 24 provided that, subject to appropriation by the general assembly, it is the legislative intent that six million eight hundred thousand dollars ($6,800,000) from the lottery for education account may be used to supplement student assistance awards each year. Acts 2008, ch. 1142, § 27 provided that: (a) TSAC is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the act. The rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. THEC is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the act. The rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. Acts 2008, ch. 1142, § 28 provided that the act shall not be construed to be an appropriation of funds and that no funds shall be obligated or expended pursuant to the act unless the funds are specifically appropriated by the general appropriations act. Acts 2011, ch. 427, § 4 provided that a student who exhausted eligibility for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship prior to June 6, 2011, because five (5) years had passed since the student's initial enrollment at a postsecondary institution, but who would have qualified for an extension of the time under the provisions of § 49-4-930(c) -(e) had such provisions been in effect at the time the student exhausted eligibility, may apply to TSAC to regain the Tennessee HOPE scholarship. To be eligible for an extension of time, such student shall meet all applicable academic and nonacademic requirements for the scholarship and ten (10) years shall not have passed since the student's initial enrollment at a postsecondary institution. Acts 2011, ch. 427, § 5 provided that no retroactive award of a Tennessee HOPE scholarship shall be made under the provisions of the act, which amended §§ 49-4-913 and 49-4-930 . Acts 2011, ch. 427, § 6 provided that notwithstanding § 4-5-208 or any other provision of law to the contrary, the Tennessee student assistance corporation is authorized to promulgate emergency rules to implement the provisions of the act, which amended §§ 49-4-913 and 49-4-930 . Acts 2011, ch. 488, § 2, codified in § 49-6-8301 , provided that the act, which added title 49, ch. 6, part 83 and § 49-4-930(g) , shall be known and may be cited as the “Move on When Ready Act.” Acts 2011, ch. 488, § 7, codified in § 49-6-8306 , provided that the state board of education and the Tennessee higher education commission are authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the act, which added title 49, ch. 6, part 83 and § 49-4-930(g) . All such rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Tennessee Administrative Procedures Act, compile in title 4, chapter 5. Acts 2013, ch. 453, § 52 provided that: “(a) For students who first received the Tennessee HOPE scholarship, Tennessee HOPE access grant or Tennessee HOPE scholarship for nontraditional students before the fall semester of 2009, award amounts for the 2013-2014 academic year (two semesters) shall be: “(1) $4,000 for an eligible student under the HOPE scholarship award or HOPE nontraditional scholarship award pursuant to § 49-4-914(a) ; “(2) $2,000 for an eligible student under the HOPE scholarship award pursuant to § 49-4-914(b) ; “(3) $1,500 for an eligible student under the ASPIRE need-based supplemental award pursuant to § 49-4-915 ; and “(4) $1,000 for an eligible student under the General Assembly Merit Scholar supplemental award pursuant to § 49-4-916 . “(b) For students who first received the Tennessee HOPE scholarship, Tennessee HOPE access grant or Tennessee HOPE scholarship for nontraditional students beginning the fall semester of 2009 or thereafter, award amounts for the 2013-2014 academic year shall be: “(1) $2,000 per semester for an eligible student under the HOPE scholarship award or HOPE nontraditional scholarship award pursuant to § 49-4-914(a) ; “(2) $1,000 per semester for an eligible student under the HOPE scholarship award pursuant to § 49-4-914(b) ; “(3) $750 per semester for an eligible student under the ASPIRE need-based supplemental award pursuant to § 49-4-915 ; “(4) $500 per semester for an eligible student under the General Assembly Merit Scholar supplemental award pursuant to § 49-4-916 ; and “(5) Pursuant to the provisions of § 49-4-920 , the award amount for an eligible student under the Tennessee HOPE access grant shall be $1,375 per semester at four-year schools and $875 per semester at two-year schools. “(c) The 2013-2014 award amount for an eligible student under the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant pursuant to § 49-4-921 shall be $2,000. “(d) The 2013-2014 award amount for an eligible student under the Tennessee HOPE foster child tuition grant shall be determined under the provisions of § 49-4-933 . “(e) The 2013-2014 award amount shall be $1,000 per semester for successful completion of twelve (12) or more semester hours for an eligible student under the Helping Heroes Grant pursuant to § 49-4-938 ; provided, however, that the total amount expended for Helping Heroes Grants shall not exceed $750,000. “(f) The 2013-2014 award amount shall be determined pursuant to the provisions of § 49-4-939 for an eligible student under the Tennessee Rural Health scholarship; provided, however, that the total amount expended for Tennessee Rural Health scholarships shall not exceed $300,000. “(g) The 2013-2014 award amount shall be determined by the Tennessee student assistance corporation in accordance with § 49-4-930 for an eligible student under the dual enrollment grant.” Acts 2017, ch. 328, § 8 provided that the act, which amended this section, shall apply to students seeking postsecondary financial assistance from net lottery proceeds for the 2017-2018 academic years and academic years thereafter. For the Preamble to the act concerning dual enrollment, see Acts 2019, ch. 203. Acts 2019, ch. 203, § 1 provides that the act, which amended this section, shall be known and may be cited as the “Governor's Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) Act.” For the Preamble to the act concerning HOPE Lottery Scholarships and the Tennessee Promise and Reconnect programs, see Acts 2020, ch. 794. Acts 2020, ch. 794, § 1 provided that the act, which amended this section, shall be known and may be cited as the “Financial Aid Simplification for Tennesseans (FAST) Act”. Amendments. The 2019 amendment by ch. 482, effective July 1, 2020 at 12:02 a.m., substituted “two (2) additional courses per semester” for “one (1) additional course per semester” in (d); and added “, a student who is eligible to receive a dual enrollment grant pursuant to this section is eligible to receive a dual enrollment grant for no more than ten (10) courses” at the end of the first sentence in (g)(2). The 2020 amendment rewrote (b)(2), which read: “Is a Tennessee resident and has been a Tennessee resident, as defined by regulations promulgated by the board of regents under § 49-8-104 , for the one (1) year immediately preceding the date of application for a grant or for the renewal of a grant;”; in (c), inserted “under the following conditions:” in the end of the first sentence, redesignated the former second sentence as present (c)(1) and inserted “; and”, and added (c)(2); deleted “overall weighted” following “Has achieved an” in (d)(2)(B); rewrote former (h) and (i) which read: “(h) Notwithstanding subsection (g), it is the intent of the general assembly that the award for the first four (4) dual enrollment courses attempted by a student enrolled in a certificate or diploma program identified by TSAC's board of directors pursuant to this subsection (h) only provide for maintenance fees at the institution attended. The institution shall not increase the institution's maintenance fees more than the annual increase to maintenance fees established for the community colleges and Tennessee colleges of applied technology by the state university and community college system. The award described in this subsection (h) only applies to programs annually identified by TSAC's board of directors. TSAC's board of directors may consider the following factors, in addition to other relevant information, to identify programs for which a student is eligible to receive the award described in this subsection (h): “(1) The annual workforce and credential report described in § 49-7-112(b) ; “(2) The annual workforce needs report described in § 49-7-1209 ; and “(3) The annual job placement report described in § 49-7-1210 . “(i) Courses for which a dual enrollment grant is received may be taken at any time during the junior or senior year in high school.”; and added (j). Effective Dates. Acts 2019, ch. 203, § 3. July 1, 2020. Acts 2019, ch. 463, § 3. July 1, 2019; July 1, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. Acts 2019, ch. 482, § 3. July 1, 2020 at 12:02 a.m. Acts 2020, ch. 794, § 70. August 1, 2020.