08 LC 21 9826S
(SCS)
Senate
Bill 512
By:
Senators Douglas of the 17th, Pearson of the 51st, Harp of the 29th, Murphy of
the 27th and Schaefer of the 50th
AS
PASSED SENATE
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Student Finance Authority, so as to
provide for grants to students attending North Georgia College and State
University who accept a military commission; to provide for legislative
findings; to provide for a definition; to provide for the amount of the grant;
to provide for application for grants, certification of eligibility, and
refunds; to provide for a pro rata reduction when funds are insufficient; to
provide for audits of the college; to provide for a penalty for false
statements; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for
other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the Georgia Student Finance Authority, is amended by
adding a new subpart to read as follows:
"Subpart
6A
20-3-440.
The
General Assembly finds that it is essential for the national defense that
persons be encouraged to consider military leadership positions as an honorable
and rewarding profession and that North Georgia College and State University,
Georgia´s only state supported military college, plays a significant role
in preparing and training students for professional life in the military as a
profession. It is the purpose of the General Assembly, as provided for in this
subpart, to encourage students to enroll in North Georgia College and State
University and its military training program and to encourage such students to
accept military commissions by providing for tuition grant assistance to such
students.
20-3-441.
For
purposes of this subpart, the term 'eligible student' shall mean a person
who:
(1)
Is enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in North Georgia College and State
University for a minimum of 12 academic hours;
(2)
Is or will be a citizen of this state for a period of at least 12 months
immediately prior to the date of registration therein;
(3)
Is enrolled in or plans to enroll in the Army Reserve Officers´ Training
Corps program at North Georgia College and State University; and
(4)
Has signed a contract to accept a commission, to be effective upon graduation,
no later than the end of the student´s junior year as an officer in the
Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard.
20-3-442.
There
is granted to each eligible student attending North Georgia College and State
University the sum of $1,500.00 per academic semester.
20-3-443.
Each
eligible student wishing to receive the grant provided for in this subpart shall
submit to North Georgia College and State University an application for the
grant payment at the time and in accordance with procedures prescribed by the
authority. The authority is authorized to define such terms and prescribe such
rules, regulations, and procedures as may be reasonable and necessary to carry
out the purposes of this subpart. The authority shall not approve payment of
any grant until it has received from an appropriate officer of North Georgia
College and State University a certification that the student applying for the
grant is an eligible student. Upon timely receipt of such certification, in
proper form, the authority is authorized to pay the grant to North Georgia
College and State University on behalf of and to the credit of the student. In
the event a student on whose behalf a grant is paid shall not enroll as a
full-time student for the school term for which the grant is paid, North Georgia
College and State University shall make a refund to the authority in accordance
with regulations of the authority.
20-3-444.
In
the event funds available to the authority are not sufficient to enable the
authority to pay on behalf of eligible students the full grant prescribed by the
General Assembly, grants payable for the remaining school terms shall be reduced
by the authority on a pro rata basis.
20-3-445.
North
Georgia College and State University shall be subject to examination by the
state auditor for the sole purpose of determining whether the school has
properly certified eligibility and enrollment of students and credited grants
paid on behalf of such students. However, nothing in this subpart shall be
construed to interfere with the authority of the school to determine
admissibility of students or to control its own curriculum, philosophy, purpose,
or administration. In the event it is determined that the school knowingly or
through error certified an ineligible student to be eligible for a grant under
this subpart, the amount of the grant paid to the school pursuant to such
certification shall be refunded by the school to the authority.
20-3-446.
Any
person who knowingly makes or furnishes any false statement or misrepresentation
or who accepts such statement or misrepresentation knowing it to be false for
the purpose of enabling an ineligible student to obtain wrongfully a grant under
this subpart shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.