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2000 SESSION

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HB 1528 Advantage Virginia Incentive Program; created.

Introduced by: James M. Scott | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Advantage Virginia Incentive Program created. Creates the Advantage Virginia Incentive Foundation ("Foundation"), the Advantage Virginia Incentive Fund ("Fund"), and the Advantage Virginia Incentive Program ("Program"). The Foundation would be a body politic of the Commonwealth and is to be administered by a board of trustees. The members of the board of trustees are to be appointed by the Governor. The Foundation is to establish and administer the Fund, and moneys of the Fund are to be used for awarding scholarships pursuant to the Program. The Program is to be administered by the Virginia Workforce Council, to provide scholarships to students attending two and four-year (i) public institutions of higher education, and (ii) private, nonprofit or for-profit, nonsectarian, degree-granting institutions of higher education that are institutionally accredited by an accrediting commission recognized by the United States Department of Education, and whose primary purpose is to provide collegiate, graduate, technical or professional education and not to provide religious training or theological education, who become employed in "occupational areas where there is high demand for workers in the Commonwealth," as such areas are designated by the Council. An occupational area where there is high demand for workers shall include occupations in Virginia localities and planning districts that (i) have annual average unemployment rates that are 50 percent higher than the final statewide average unemployment rate for the most recent calendar year or (ii) are within planning districts that have annual average unemployment rates for the most recent calendar year that are at least one percent greater than the final annual statewide average for the most recent calendar year provided that such occupational areas in such Virginia localities and planning districts require, for successful completion, the level of education, skills, and training for which scholarships are granted under the bill. The granting of the scholarship to students enrolled in degree programs offered by private, accredited and nonprofit institutions of collegiate education in the Commonwealth whose primary purpose is to provide collegiate, graduate, or professional education and not to provide religious training or theological education mirrors the eligibility requirement under the Tuition Assistance Grant Program. The granting of the scholarships to students enrolled in degree programs offered by for-profit, nonsectarian post-secondary private schools and institutions of learning in the Commonwealth is pursuant to the 1998 Report of the Attorney General which provides that such tuition assistance programs are allowed under Article VIII, Section 10, of the Constitution of Virginia. Eligible students can receive scholarships of up to $3,000 per academic year, not to exceed a maximum of $12,000, for tuition, books, and fees. A recipient is required to repay his scholarship by agreeing to become employed in an occupational area where there is high demand for workers in the Commonwealth within one calendar year after his graduation, and to continue thereafter until he has been continuously employed in such area for a period of years equal in number to the years that he has benefited from the Program's scholarship. Students who fail to maintain eligibility during a scholarship year or refuse to fulfill these terms and conditions are required to repay their AVIP scholarship with interest and any penalties the Council assesses. Priority will be given to students (i) who are closest to completing their degree programs, (ii) who demonstrate financial need, and (iii) whose applications were received earliest by the Council.


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