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COMMITTEE REPORT
April 20, 2022
H. 3144
Introduced by Reps. White, Robinson, Thigpen, V.S. Moss, Dillard, Weeks, Wheeler, Fry, B. Newton, Forrest, Rivers and S. Williams
S. Printed 4/20/22--S.
Read the first time April 7, 2021.
To whom was referred a Bill (H. 3144) to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Section 59-150-365 so as to establish the "South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:
/ SECTION 1. Chapter 150, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-150-365. (A)(1) A student who is pursuing a professional certificate, industry-recognized credential (IRC), diploma, or degree from a public South Carolina Technical college, meeting the qualifying criteria, shall receive a South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship (SCWINS). The SCWINS scholarship is equal to the cost of tuition, fees, or expenses for required course related materials after applying all other federal or state scholarships or grants, not to exceed five thousand dollars each year for no more than three years of instruction, including the student's freshman year, if the student is enrolled in an associate degree program, or no more than two years of instruction, including the student's freshman year, if enrolled in an IRC, diploma, or professional certificate program.
(2) A qualifying student must:
(a) be a South Carolina resident;
(b) be enrolled in a career education program that meets the eligibility guidelines promulgated by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE); and
(c) meet one of the following criteria:
(i) be employed;
(ii) take a financial literacy course offered at the public technical college; or
(iii) complete one hundred hours of voluntary time contributing to a nonprofit or public service organization approved by the SBTCE.
(B) The SBTCE shall promulgate regulations to define what constitutes a career eligible education program to include the process for determining eligible programs with regional or statewide workforce needs. Additionally, the SBTCE shall communicate and provide to the colleges an annual approved list of eligible programs and identification of those programs with regional or statewide workforce needs before disbursement of funds and no later than March thirty-first. SBTCE also shall communicate with high school guidance counselors regarding the list of eligible programs in a timely manner.
(C) Credit-seeking recipients of SCWINS shall maintain their scholarship eligibility by showing substantial progress on their coursework and maintaining a grade point average of 2.0 or better on a 4.0 grading scale.
(D) A student may not be eligible to receive the SCWINS scholarship for more than one certificate, IRC, diploma, or degree within any five-year period following the student's last scholarship disbursement unless the additional certificate, diploma, or degree constitutes progress in the same field of study.
(E) South Carolina public technical colleges shall allocate a minimum of five percent of their total SCWINS allocation towards dual enrollment students eligible under this section.
(F) Priority for scholarship awards must be given to students seeking a degree, diploma, professional certificate, or industry-recognized credential (IRC) in an industry sector with regional or statewide workforce needs as identified yearly by SBTCE.
(G) If an eligible program is placed on suspension during the SBTCE's annual program evaluation process, that program no longer qualifies for SCWINS funds at that specific college. Students must be advised on how to complete their program by transferring to another technical college or serving as a transient student at another technical college to complete specified courses.
(H) The SBTCE shall provide an annual report by April fifteenth, to the Chairman of House Ways and Means Committee and the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee detailing the use of funds received in the prior fiscal year. The report must include, at a minimum, a list of programs for each technical college that received funding, the amount spent on each program, the number of students that received scholarships, the average scholarship amount for each student, a list of credential categories completed by scholarship students, the average amount of money received by the scholarship student for each credential category, and job placement rates for scholarship students by credential category.
(I) The SBTCE and the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce shall collaborate to inform individuals who are receiving Unemployment Insurance about short-term training programs available at their local technical college through the SCWINS Program."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect on July 1, 2022 and applies to the 2022-2023 School Year. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
GREG HEMBREE for Committee.
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-150-365 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE "SOUTH CAROLINA WORKFORCE INDUSTRY NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP (SC WINS)", TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN STUDENTS ATTENDING A TWO-YEAR TECHNICAL COLLEGE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP, AND TO PROVIDE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Chapter 150, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-150-365. (A)(1) A student who is attending a two-year public technical college, who is majoring in a critical workforce area program, as defined and recommended by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE) and ratified by the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Workforce Development, and who is receiving a Lottery Tuition Assistance Program Scholarship (LTAP) for the current school year, shall receive an additional South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship (SC WINS). The SC WINS scholarship is equal to the cost of tuition and mandatory fees after applying all other scholarships or grants, not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars each year for no more than three years of instruction, including the student's freshman year, if the student is enrolled in an associate degree program, or no more than two years of instruction, including the student's freshman year, if enrolled in a diploma or certificate program.
(2) During the student's freshman year, the student must be enrolled in at least six credit hours of instruction each semester, including at least three credit hours of instruction in one of the critical workforce areas defined by the SBTCE. To receive the additional SC WINS scholarship each school year, the student must receive the underlying LTAP scholarship for that school year and must be making acceptable progress each school year towards receiving a degree in one of the majors pursuant to this section. For purposes of meeting this required minimum level of instruction in the student's major courses during a student's freshman year, dual enrollment courses taken in high school in these critical workforce area programs count toward the fulfillment of the minimum requirement.
(B) The SBTCE shall promulgate regulations to define what constitutes a critical workforce program area. Nothing herein prevents a student from changing majors within the acceptable disciplines. Additionally, the SBTCE annually shall communicate with high school guidance counselors regarding the list of qualifying majors. The critical workforce program list must be reviewed at least every five years and adjusted based on workforce trends and industry needs. Critical workforce program additions or deletions must be ratified by the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Workforce Development.
(C) If the additional SC WINS scholarship is lost, it may be regained in the same manner the underlying LTAP scholarship is regained.
(D) In order for a student to be eligible after attempting twenty-four academic credit hours, the student must have earned a grade point average of 2.0 or better on a 4.0 grading scale.
(E) A student may not be eligible to receive the SC WINS scholarship for more than one certificate, diploma, or degree within any five-year period unless the additional certificate, diploma, or degree constitutes progress in the same field of study.
(F) A dual-enrollment student in high school, who is majoring in one of the critical workforce areas at a technical college qualifies for the SC WINS scholarship.
(G) Additionally, a three-hundred-dollar book allowance each school year is applied to a SC WINS recipient's account for expenses towards the cost of attendance including the cost of textbooks.
(H) If a critical workforce area program is placed on suspension during the SBTCE's annual program evaluation process, that program no longer qualifies for SC WINS funds at that specific college. Students must be advised on how to complete their program by transferring to another technical college or serving as a transient student at another technical college to complete specified courses."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect on July 1, 2021 and applies to the 2021-2022 School Year.
This web page was last updated on April 20, 2022 at 9:16 PM