Signed by Governor Larry Hogan, Jr.

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a communication campaign to encourage near completers to earn degrees.

Highlights:

• Requires the Governor to include $125,000 in the state budget for the Commission to fund a statewide communication campaign for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 2024 (Sec. 1).

• Specifies the commission to have the following purposes, including, but not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Make use of a variety of marketing media, including billboards, brochures and electronic resources;

• Provide a centralized contact point for near completers to get information about and assistance with re-enrolling; and

• Make readily available contact information for each public institution of higher education in the State.

• Requires the following of the near completers to have accomplished the following, including, but not limited to (Sec. 1):

• Earned a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 while in college;

• Earned at least 45 credit hours if the individual attended a community college; or

• Earned at least 90 credit hours if the individual attended a senior higher education institution.

• Authorizes the commission to develop and implement a plan that would provide an incentive to a near completer to re-enroll and earn a degree as well as a college to identify and graduate near completers (Sec. 1).

• Specifies the incentive plan shall use all available resources, including institutional funds, private sector funds and State funds (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the commision to develop and implement a centralized web-based matches program for near completers with any institution of higher education at which they would be able to complete their degree (Sec. 1).

• Specifies the commission shall encourage each institution of higher education in the state to participate in the match program at no cost to the institution (Sec. 1).

• Requires any institution that participates in the match program to provide the commission with information regarding near completers who attended the institution (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Governor to include in the state budget $50,000 to the commission to develop and implement the match program for near completers for every fiscal year 2020-2024 (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Governor to provide a near completer who re-enrolls in a community college up to one-third of the in-county tuition charge (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Governor to provide a near completer who re-enrolls in a public senior or higher education institution up to one-third of the resident undergraduate tuition charge (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Governor to include $250,00 in 2020 and for fiscal years 2021-2024 $375,000 for grants for near completers (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the grant money to be used for anything other than tuition (Sec. 1).

• Specifies all non-loan aid received by the near completer shall be credited to the tuition before the grant money is calculated (Sec. 1).

• Specifies all grants shall be provided on a first-come, first-served basis (Sec. 1).

• Requires the commision to submit a report of the match program and a detailed account of the expenditures of the grant program to the General Assembly by December 1 2019-2025 (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a communication campaign to encourage near completers to earn degrees.