State Legislative Update
April 2017
Legislative news from across the SASFAA region, prepared by
your 2016-2017 SASFAA Legislative Relations Committee.
Christen Neher – SASFAA Legislative Relations Chair
Ron Gambill – TASFAA Governmental Relations ChairMary Otto – NCASFAA Legislative Advisory Chair
Vanessa Fulton – GASFAA Legislative Affairs Chair
Erin Klarer – KASFAA Legislative Chair
Jennifer Epperson – AASFAA Legislative Relations Chair
Francisco Valines – FASFAA Legislative Relation Chair
Heidi Hunter-Goldsworthy – VASFAA Government Relations Chair
Amanda Holliday – MASFAA Legislative Chair
Joey Derrick – SCASFAA Legislative Relations Chair
Amy Berrier – SASFAA Past President
Mike O’Grady – Legislative Knowledge Expert
Alabama
The Alabama Senate has postponed their vote on the state’s
2018 education budget until April 4th; after they return from their
two-week spring break recess. For more information about the budget and
the delayed vote, you can visit the following link: http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/03/alabama_senate_considering_sta.html
Rhode Island’s current commissioner for higher education,
Jim Purcell, is returning to his home state of Alabama to serve as the
executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. This
news was announced Friday, March 24th. More information about
Purcell and his return to our state can be found at: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rhode-island/articles/2017-03-24/rhode-island-higher-education-commissioner-headed-to-alabama
Auburn University’s Board of Trustees announced last week
that current Iowa State University President, Steven Leath, has been named the
university’s 19th president. Details about Leath and his
transition to Auburn University can be found at: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2017/03/24/isu-vs-auburn-why-did-leath-choose-alabama-over-iowa/99466706/
North
Carolina
On March 28, 2017 members of NCASFAA, along with members
from other SASFAA institutions, met with Megan McClean Covel from NASFAA who
provided an update on the state of budget appropriations, reauthorization timelines
and other issues.
On March 29, 2017, NCASFAA members visited with Ms. Leah
Hill, Education Staffer for Congresswoman Alma Adams and Mr. Christopher
Toppings, Education Staffer for Senator Richard Burr. We shared our concerns about funding, regulations
and issues related to the current DRT situation via our White Papers. The visits and the information we provided
were well received by the staffers and many of our concerns were shared by the
members of Congress they represent.
The following NCASFAA members participated in the Hill
visits:
Amy Berrier
Sharon OliverMary Otto
Andrea Simpson
We thank Ms. Christen Barrett for all her hard work and
planning that is required to coordinate these visits, that we hope will
ultimately benefit the students and families we serve.
Mississippi
Mississippi Legislature recently approved the appropriation
bill for the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid for both the academic
and aid year beginning July 1. With a higher demand for state aid
for the students of Mississippi and with the limited state revenue, changes
have been made to the state grant programs. The state legislature has
eliminated the stacking of undergraduate grants. If a student is eligible
for more than one state grant, the student will receive aid only through the
grant program that awards the student the higher amount.
Additionally, students will have their eligibility of state grants re-evaluated
(by hours and grades) at the end of every term.
Kentucky
Did you know: “Sine Die” is actually the ancient Latin
phrase for “Pajama Day”? Actually it literally means “without a day,” which is
what the very last day of a legislative session is called to reference that
they adjourn for an indefinite period of time. Back to that in a minute…
So the House adjourned at about 11:56 p.m. last night and HB 206
made its final passage back through the House at about 11:50. I was getting a
little nervous there because they have to be done at midnight, and since the
advent of digital clocks (and a lawsuit or two), they quit unplugging the
clocks to alter the space/time continuum. In any event, when the bill was in
the Senate there was a committee substitute that modifies a couple of things:
the Dual Credit Scholarship will be available to a high school student until
they successfully complete of two courses; tuition plus fees cannot
exceed the 1/3 KCTCS full-time in state tuition rate; clarified that students
may not be charged if they fail or withdraw the course; added that universities
must return 50% of the scholarship if a student does not successfully complete
the course; a few odds and ends on KHEAA’s end about reporting and consulting
with folks for regulations. Is it 100% what we wanted? No. Is it better than
how the current Dual Credit Scholarship is operating? Yes. The money will follow
the student and the high schools will only be responsible for getting the
students enrolled and applied (and hopefully help them pass), not disbursing
funds to postsecondary institutions. I know it’s hit and miss on each campus as
to whether or not KASFAA folks are involved with the Dual Credit Scholarship,
but you might be now since it’ll operate much more like all the other KHEAA
programs! You’re welcome to share the good news with whomever is currently
involved. J
Also added to HB 206
is the ability for high school students with earned KEES money to spend it on
registered apprenticeship programs. This was pretty much the language from HB
62 but we successfully got the date delayed until the 2018-2019 school year so
we can include the increase in KEES expenditures in our biennial budget request
and program for it.
So we’re done! Or are we?!? There’s still a 10 day window to
see if the Governor vetoes anything passed in the last two days. And there’s
talk about a special session or two for tax reform and pension reform. I think
tax reform may open up a few education finance things, so we’ll see!
Give me a little bit to catch up on federal stuff and I’ll
be back in touch. Happy Sine Die!
Tennessee
On March 6, some members of the TASFAA Board of Directors
attended the higher education budget hearings held by the Tennessee House of
Representatives’ Finance, Ways and Means Committee. Testimony was provided by the Tennessee Higher
Education Commission, the University of Tennessee System, the Tennessee Board
of Regents and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation supporting their
budget requests for the 2017-2018 Fiscal Year.
Thirty-four legislative bills have been offered impacting
various higher education related programs between the House of Representatives
and the State Senate. TASFAA has begun
to review the bills to determine if follow-up should be made related to the
impact on postsecondary institutions and students.
On
March 29, TASFAA members Marian Dill, Ron Gambill and Dick Smelser participated
in the SASFAA Hill Day visits in Washington D.C. They met with four Congressional members or
staff and attended meetings with the Senate HELP Committee staff and staff of
the House Education and Workforce Committee.
A reauthorization white paper was discussed during the meetings. The trip was very successful.
Georgia
I had the pleasure of taking the SASFAA Legislative
Relations committee and most of our state presidents to DC last week for the
annual SASFAA Capitol Hill visits. As a group we met with Bob Moran, Deputy
Education Policy Director for the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee. Afterwards we met with Jenny Prescott, Staff member of the House Committee
on Education and the Workforce. Both meetings went extremely well with both
staffers being very receptive to our reauthorization recommendations. The team
also managed to have 33 separate state delegate meetings within the 2 days we
were in DC. What a passionate hardworking group! Our voices and your voices
were heard on the hill, and they listened! They asked great questions and assured
us that we should see reauthorization talks begin as soon as Aug/Sept on 2017. It
was also expressed that reauthorization of the HEA was the Senate HELP
committee’s “goal for the year”. Very positive!
Representing the great state of GA was Felicia Ailster of
GSU, and GASFAA President, and myself, Christen Barrett of SCAD. We met with
representatives from both our Senators offices. Senator Isakson’s Senior
Legislative Assistant shared that Isakson supports year round Pell and he would
like to see certificate students have access to Pell. It was great to hear his
support of our GA technical programs. It was also expressed that Isakson looks
forward to being part of the reauthorization of the HEA. Thank you to all that
participated and made in impact at such an important time for the future of
financial aid.
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