As Introduced

133rd General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 697

2019-2020

Representative Manning, G.

A BILL

To maintain a student's Ohio College Opportunity Grant award amount in the 2020-2021 academic year if that student enrolls in a state institution of higher education and to declare an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Eligible student" means a student who received an award under the Ohio College Opportunity Grant program established under section 3333.122 of the Revised Code in the 2019-2020 academic year.

(2) "State institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.

(B) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 3333.122 of the Revised Code or division (B) of section 381.360 of H.B. 166 of the 133rd General Assembly, an eligible student who transfers to a state institution of higher education in the 2020-2021 academic year shall receive an award under the Ohio College Opportunity Grant program in that academic year for an amount that is not less than the amount that the student received under that program for the 2019-2020 academic year. A state institution of higher education shall apply an award prescribed under this section to a student's general and instructional fees prior to applying that student's Pell grant to those fees. No award amount under this section shall exceed the total state cost of attendance, except as provided in divisions (D)(4) and (5) of section 3333.122 of the Revised Code.

Section 2. This act is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety. The reason for such necessity is to ensure that the changes made by this act take effect before the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. Therefore, this act shall go into immediate effect.