(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Community College Reconnect Grant.”

(b) To be eligible for a Community College Reconnect Grant, a student shall:

(1) Not be ineligible for the grant under § 49-4-904;

(2) Have been a Tennessee resident, as defined by regulations promulgated by the board of regents under § 49-8-104, for one (1) year immediately preceding the date of application for the grant;

(3) [Deleted by 2017 amendment.]

(4) [Deleted by 2017 amendment.]

(5) File the FAFSA prior to the beginning of each academic term as determined by TSAC;

(6) Be an independent student as determined by the FAFSA;

(7) Apply for the grant by filing a Community College Reconnect Grant application as required by TSAC; and

(8) Be admitted to and enrolled in a public two-year postsecondary institution.

(c) To be eligible for a Community College Reconnect Grant, a student shall not be required to meet any academic standard at the time of enrollment in the eligible public two-year postsecondary institution; except, that the student shall be mathematically able at the time of enrollment to achieve any grade point average required for graduation with the degree sought, as determined by the postsecondary institution attended.

(d) To continue to be eligible for a Community College Reconnect Grant, a student shall:

(1) Enroll in classes that lead to completion of an associate degree;

(2) Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 as determined by the institution attended;

(3) Maintain continuous enrollment at an eligible public postsecondary institution;

(4) Reapply for the scholarship as specified by TSAC; and

(5) Enroll in at least six (6) semester hours per semester during any fall or spring semester, unless otherwise required by the specific academic program in which the student is enrolled. The student may enroll in fewer than six (6) semester hours in a summer semester.

(e) If a student ceases to be eligible for the Community College Reconnect Grant at any time for any reason, then the student shall not be able to regain the grant.

(f)

(1) A student may receive a Community College Reconnect Grant under this section until the occurrence of the first of the following events:

(A) The student has earned an associate degree;

(B) The student has attempted the total number of semester hours necessary for completion of the degree; or

(C) Two (2) years have passed since the initial date of enrollment as a Community College Reconnect Grant student, exclusive of an approved leave of absence.

(2) A student who has an approved medical or personal leave of absence from the eligible public two-year postsecondary institution may continue to receive the scholarship upon resuming the student's education at the eligible public two-year postsecondary institution; provided, that the student continues to meet all applicable eligibility requirements.

(g) A student who receives a Community College Reconnect Grant may transfer from one eligible public two-year postsecondary institution to another eligible public two-year postsecondary institution without loss of the scholarship; provided, that the student:

(1) Continues to meet all requirements for the scholarship;

(2) Applies and is admitted to the eligible public two-year postsecondary institution to which the student seeks to transfer;

(3) Shall be able to complete the degree before reaching a terminating event; and

(4) Notifies TSAC of the transfer as required by TSAC.

(h) Subject to the amounts appropriated by the general assembly and any law relating to a shortfall in funds available for postsecondary financial assistance from the net proceeds of the state lottery, the amount of a Community College Reconnect Grant shall not exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees at the eligible public two-year postsecondary institution attended less all other gift aid, which shall be credited first to the student's tuition and mandatory fees. In the semester of attendance in which the degree is obtained, the grant amount shall not exceed the amount required for the student to complete the degree.

(i) Notwithstanding § 49-4-902, gift aid under this section shall include financial aid received from a federal Pell grant, a Tennessee student assistance award, and any scholarship or grant funded from net lottery proceeds under this part.

(j)

(1) Notwithstanding § 49-4-903(a), TSAC shall distribute funds appropriated for the Community College Reconnect Grants to public two-year postsecondary institutions based on each institution's percentage of the total nontraditional students enrolled at all public two-year postsecondary institutions; provided, however, that no more than a total of one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) of net lottery proceeds shall be expended for community college reconnect grants during the life of the program, should such amount be available as determined by the general assembly.

(2) Public two-year postsecondary institutions shall award Community College Reconnect Grants to eligible students enrolled in each respective institution on a first-come, first-served basis according to rules promulgated by TSAC.

(k)

(1) Funds appropriated for community college reconnect grants during the 2016-2017 academic year shall be carried forward to the 2017-2018 academic year for the purpose of awarding additional grants. At the end of the 2017-2018 academic year, all funds distributed under this section which remain unexpended by the community colleges shall revert to the lottery for education account.

(2) A student who remains enrolled in and eligible for the community college reconnect grant program at the end of the 2017-2018 academic year shall be eligible for the Tennessee reconnect grant program for the fall semester of 2018 so long as the student meets all eligibility requirements relative to the Tennessee reconnect grant program.

(l) The comptroller of the treasury, through the comptroller's office of research and education accountability, shall review and study the Community College Reconnect Grant program to determine the effectiveness of the program in encouraging independent students to complete their associate degree. The office of research and education accountability shall report its findings and conclusions to the speakers of the senate and house of representatives and the education committees of the senate and house of representatives before December 31, 2017.