21-18-407. College program grant funds; distribution by community college commission; matching funds requirements.

(a) From monies within the Wyoming works program account the commission shall distribute to colleges funds for instructor positions and to acquire instructional and resource materials and classroom equipment necessary to support the Wyoming works program. The community colleges may collaborate on the use of funds received from the Wyoming works program account, including entering into consortium agreements for operation of credential programs.

(b) Funds distributed under this section shall be subject to the following:

(i) The funds shall be designated as Wyoming works program funding, accounted for separately from funding provided under the allocation model under W.S. 21-18-205(c) and special purpose funding under W.S. 21-18-205(e) and shall not be transferred to or expended for any other purpose;

(ii) The funds shall be expended only for credential programs approved by the commission. The commission shall develop by rule criteria under which to approve credential programs and to determine the amount of funding provided. The process for approving programs for funding shall reflect the primary goals of the Wyoming works program to develop technical skills most in demand in a college's service area or colleges' combined service areas and to fund programs which are most able to immediately respond to that demand by making grant funds available to students able to acquire the credential needed. The criteria for funding amounts shall include, at a minimum, the need for the program in the community, the region's workforce needs and the contribution of the program to the state's overall economic development. Priority shall be given to programs developed and delivered through consortiums and partnerships of colleges, to those programs which, based upon enrollment and projected enrollment, are most able to respond to industry training needs in the community and region. Colleges shall make application for funding of credential programs to the commission at times determined by rule of the commission;

(iii) Funds shall only be distributed if matched in the ratio of two dollars ($2.00) of Wyoming works program account funds to not less than one dollar ($1.00) of matching nonstate funds. The commission shall distribute matching funds at the time any accumulated matching funds actually received by or pledged to the community college or consortium of community colleges total ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) or more. Matching nonstate funds under this paragraph include but are not limited to the following:

(A) Cash or cash equivalents;

(B) The fair market value, as determined by the commission, of in-kind donations of facilities, equipment or services to support approved credential programs, including donations actually received prior to the effective date of this section but after June 30, 2018.

(iv) Any amount of funding distributed under this section which remains unexpended or unencumbered at the end of the biennial budget period for which it was distributed shall revert to the Wyoming works program account.