SURVIVOR TUITION GRANTS; MODIFY CRITERIA H.B. 4247:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4247 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Matt Koleszar
House Committee: Appropriations
Senate Committee: Appropriations
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Police Officer's and Firefighter's Survivor Tuition Grant (STG) Act to modify how grants under the program are calculated.
Current law requires a financial aid officer to certify that an STG applicant demonstrates financial need for a grant to pay his or her eligible tuition expenses, and specifies that any income from death benefits received by the student as a result of the police officer or firefighter's death does not count toward that demonstration of financial need if the student's family income is below 400% of the Federal poverty line. The bill would remove the demonstration of financial need requirement and, instead, specify that a grant under the STG program would be for the total amount of the student's tuition, less any gift aid. "Gift aid" would mean formal scholarships or grants from sources that do not require repayment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill likely would increase the cost of the STG program, albeit by an unknown amount as it is unknown how many applicants have been denied a grant under the program because of a failure to demonstrate financial need. For reference, the table below provides the actual number of STG recipients as well as the dollar value of those grants for the last four fiscal years.
|
Police Officer's and Firefighter's Survivor Tuition Grant Awards |
||
|
Fiscal Year |
Number of STG Recipients |
Cost of STG Benefits |
|
2016-17 |
8 |
$61,727 |
|
2017-18 |
9 |
70,562 |
|
2018-19 |
7 |
69,666 |
|
2019-20 |
6 |
66,319 |
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.