260C.29 Academic incentives for minorities program — mission.

1. The mission of the academic incentives for minorities program established in this section is to encourage collaborative efforts by community colleges, the institutions of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents, and business and industry to enhance educational opportunities and provide for job creation and career advancement for Iowa’s minorities by providing assistance to minorities who major in fields or subject areas where minorities are currently underrepresented or underutilized.

2. An academic incentives for minorities program is established to be administered by a community college located in a county with a population in excess of three hundred thousand. The community college shall provide office space for the efficient operation of the program. The community college shall employ a director for the program. The director of the program shall employ necessary support staff. The director and staff shall be employees of the community college.

3. The director of the program shall do the following:

a. Direct the coordination of the program between the community college and the institutions of higher education under the control of the state board of regents.

b. Propose rules to the state board of education as necessary to implement the program.

c. Recruit minority persons into the program.

d. Enlist the assistance and cooperation of leaders from business and industry to provide job placement services for students who are successfully completing the program.

e. Prepare and submit an annual report to the governor and the general assembly by January 15.

f. Contract with other community colleges to expand the availability of program services and increase the number of students served by the program.

g. Establish a separate account, which shall consist of all appropriations, grants, contributions, bequests, endowments, or other moneys or gifts received specifically for purposes of the program by the community college administering the program as provided in subsection 2. Not less than eighty percent of the funds received from state appropriations for purposes of the program shall be used for purposes of assistance to students as provided in subsection 5.

4. To be eligible for the program, a minority person shall be a resident of Iowa who is accepted for admission at or attends a community college or an institution of higher education under the control of the state board of regents. In addition, the person shall major in or achieve credit toward an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree in a field or subject area where minorities are underrepresented or underutilized.

5. The amount of assistance provided to a student under this section shall not exceed the cost of tuition, fees, and books required for the program in which the student is enrolled and attends. As used in this section, “books” may include book substitutes, including reusable workbooks, loose-leaf or bound manuals, and computer software materials used as book substitutes. A student who meets the qualifications of this section shall receive assistance under this section for not more than the equivalent of two full years of study.

6. For purposes of this section, “minority person” means a person who is African American, Hispanic, Asian, or a Pacific Islander, American Indian, or an Alaskan Native American.

95 Acts, ch 218, §19; 96 Acts, ch 1215, §31; 97 Acts, ch 212, §24; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §102