(A) As used in this section and in section 3333.801 of the Revised Code:

(1) "At-risk student" means a primary or secondary school student living in the state who is at least thirteen years of age who meets one of the following conditions:

(a) The student is eligible for a free or reduced price lunch;

(b) The student would have an expected family contribution of zero dollars, as determined by the free application for federal student aid, in grade twelve;

(c) The student has either:

(i) Been impacted by family opioid addiction; or

(ii) Entered into recovery for opioid addiction.

The chancellor shall define terms in division (A)(1)(c) of this section as necessary to implement this section.

(2) "College credit plus program" means the college credit plus program established under Chapter 3365. of the Revised Code.

(3) "Expected family contribution" has the same meaning as in the rules adopted by the chancellor under section 3333.122 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Eligible state institution of higher education" includes a community college established under Chapter 3354. of the Revised Code, a technical college established under Chapter 3357. of the Revised Code, a state community college established under Chapter 3358. of the Revised Code, and a state university as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.

(5) "School year" has the same meaning as in section 3313.62 of the Revised Code.

(6) "Eligible for a free or reduced price lunch" means the student is eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the "National School Lunch Act," 60 Stat. 230 (1946), 42 U.S.C. 1751, as amended, and the "Child Nutrition Act of 1966," 80 Stat. 885, 42 U.S.C. 1771, as amended.

(B) The OhioCorps pilot program is hereby created to provide at-risk students with guidance to a pathway to higher education. The pilot program shall consist of mentorship programs established and administered by eligible state institutions of higher education pursuant to rules adopted under division (C) of this section and scholarships under section 3333.801 of the Revised Code. The mentorship programs shall operate in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. Scholarships shall be available only for those students who participate in a mentorship program for both school years in which it is available.

(C) Not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section, the chancellor shall adopt rules to administer the OhioCorps mentorship program. The rules shall include all of the following:

(1) The requirements for an OhioCorps mentorship program proposed to be established by an eligible state institution of higher education, which shall include all of the following:

(a) A service-learning component for students enrolled in an eligible state institution of higher education that allows them to mentor at-risk middle and high school students, and to help the at-risk students' parents on any of the following topics:

(i) Preparing for college and career planning;

(ii) Tutoring in reading, writing, and mathematics;

(iii) Opioid and drug education programs.

The eligible state institution shall include a plan for training enrolled students to provide such mentoring, including seminars on financial literacy, opioid addiction education best practices, career guidance, and tutor skills.

An eligible state institution may include other elements of community service within service-learning beyond mentoring opportunities.

(b) A stipend to be paid to student mentors enrolled in an eligible state institution of higher education in an amount to be determined by each institution;

(c) A plan for how eligible state institutions will partner with local providers and existing programs, such as Americorps and the Ohio commission on service and volunteerism created in section 121.40 of the Revised Code, to create training, programs, and service-learning opportunities. Local partnerships under division (C)(1)(c) of this section also shall include a community service training program to be offered by local partners for at-risk students for purposes of scholarship eligibility under division (A)(6) of section 3333.801 of the Revised Code.

(d) Criminal records checks and adherence to the recommended best practices adopted by the Ohio commission on service and volunteerism regarding volunteers with unsupervised access to children under section 121.401 of the Revised Code. A program shall not require an individual to comply with a criminal records check or any screening procedures under division (C)(1)(d) of this section if the individual has already undergone a criminal records check as part of the individual's current participation in an Americorps program or an existing program connected to the Ohio commission on service and volunteerism.

An eligible state institution of higher education also may include in an OhioCorps mentorship program summer learning camps or programs at the eligible institutions that provide higher education experiences and college credit plus program opportunities offered in the summer specifically for at-risk students. These summer learning camps or programs may be offered in any region of the state.

(2) An application process under which an eligible state institution of higher education may apply to establish an OhioCorps mentorship program under this section, including application deadlines;

(3) A method to determine the amount of funding the chancellor will award to each eligible state institution of higher education approved to establish an OhioCorps mentorship program.

(D) The chancellor shall submit a report to the general assembly, in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code, at the end of the 2020-2021 school year regarding the implementation and outcomes of the OhioCorps pilot program.

Added by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 299, §1, eff. 10/10/2018.