Vetoed by Governor Pete Ricketts

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires filling out a FAFSA form to graduate highschool.

Highlights:

• Requires each public high school student to complete and submit to the United States Department of Education a Free Application for Federal Student Aid prior to graduating from such high school, beginning with the 2021-22 school year (Sec. 1-3.a)

• Requires the Commissioner of Education to prescribe the forms to be used by each public high school. These forms will be made available in the following ways (Sec. 1.c):

• By each public high school to students, parents and legal guardians of students, and persons standing in loco parentis to students; and

• In English, Spanish, and any other language spoken by a majority of the students enrolled in any English learner program at such public high schools.

• Specifies that high school means grades nine through twelve and credit hour shall be defined by appropriate rules and regulations of the State Board of Education but shall not be less than the amount of credit given for successful completion of a course which meets at least one period per week for at least one semester (Sec. 1-6).

• Requires the state Department of Education to adopt and promulgate the following rules and regulations (Sec. 7):

• A timeline for the distribution of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by public high schools and for the submission of the FAFSA by students;

• Standards regarding the information that a public high schools must provide to students regarding:

• Instructions for filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid;

• The options available to a student if a student wishes to decline to complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid; and

• The method by which a student shall provide proof to the public high school that such student has completed and submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; and

• A requirement for each public high school to report the number of students who completed and submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the number of students who instead submitted a form

Full Bill Text