Amends TCA Title 49.

ON APRIL 11, 2022, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2019, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill and revises various provisions governing the Tennessee student assistance corporation (TSAC) and financial aid, as follows: (1) Adds as duty of TSAC, to review and evaluate the administration of each financial assistance program at participating postsecondary institutions to ensure the programs are administered pursuant to applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) Clarifies the duty of TSAC to administer the Tennessee academic scholars program for students enrolled in an eligible program of study in accordance with guidelines approved by the Tennessee student assistance corporation; this amendment removes the present law provision for those guidelines being "recommended by THEC"; (3) Removes the present law authorization for TSAC to promulgate rules and regulations to determine whether licensed lawyers or persons licensed by any state agency are delinquent or in default on student loans and notifying the supreme court if the debtor is delinquent or in default; (4) Revises a provision of the loan-scholarship program for graduate students in professional nursing. Under present law, for each year of continuous full-time teaching service in a nursing school in this state that has been approved by the state board of nursing in this state, the student receives a credit of 25 percent of the amount borrowed plus interest, or proportionate credit for part-time teaching service as defined by rules. This amendment revises this provision to instead provide that students who teach full-time in a nursing school in this state who have been approved by the state board of nursing, will receive forgiveness of the loan balance based on one year's teaching service for each year the scholarship was awarded, or proportionate credit for part-time teaching service, as defined by rules; (5) Revises a provision of the Dependent Children Scholarship Act. Under present law, eligible applicants may receive an award for full-time postsecondary undergraduate or vocational study at an eligible educational institution. This amendment revises this provision to instead provide for awards for full-time postsecondary undergraduate or vocational study in an eligible program of study at an eligible postsecondary institution (defined the same as for lottery scholarship purposes). Under this amendment, "eligible program of study" means, beginning with the fall semester of the 2022-2023 academic year: (A) A curriculum of courses leading to a certificate or diploma at a Tennessee college of applied technology; or (B) A federal Title IV-eligible curriculum of courses leading to a certificate, diploma, or an associate or baccalaureate degree at an eligible postsecondary institution; (6) Revises a provision of the minority teaching fellows program. Under present law, recipients must maintain continuous enrollment in a "degree program" leading to licensure as a teacher in a higher education institution within this state with an educator preparation program approved by the state board of education. This amendment revises this provision to instead require enrollment in an "eligible program of study," which means a curriculum of courses leading to a certificate or diploma at a Tennessee college of applied technology or a federal Title IV-eligible curriculum of courses leading to a certificate, diploma, or an associate or baccalaureate degree at an eligible postsecondary institution; (7) Adds that, for purposes of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, "eligible high school" includes a high school located in a neighboring state in a county contiguous to this state; (8) Includes, as an eligible program of study for purposes of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, a curriculum of courses leading to a certificate or diploma at a Tennessee college of applied technology (in addition to a federal Title IV-eligible curriculum of courses leading to a certificate, diploma, or associate degree at an eligible postsecondary institution. This amendment specifies that the term does not include courses taken at a four-year postsecondary institution prior to a student's admission in, or that were taken by a student to fulfill prerequisite requirements for, a curriculum of courses described in present law and this amendment in regard to an eligible program of study. This amendment revises the definitions for "certificate or diploma" and "eligible program of study" to reflect the inclusion of a curriculum of courses leading to a certificate or diploma at a Tennessee college of applied technology in addition to a federal Title IV-eligible curriculum of courses leading to a certificate, diploma, or an associate or baccalaureate degree at an eligible postsecondary institution; (9) Specifies, for purposes of the Tennessee HOPE foster child tuition grant, that a student must be admitted to, and enroll in, an eligible program of study at an eligible postsecondary institution as a part-time or full-time student; and specifies, for purposes of the Helping Heroes grant, that the veteran must be admitted to, and enroll in, an eligible program of study at an eligible postsecondary institution seeking an associate or baccalaureate degree; (10) Removes the requirement, for continued eligibility for a Tennessee reconnect grant, that the student participate in a college success program through the Tennessee reconnect community initiative as created by the Tennessee higher education commission; and (11) Revises the terminating events for the Tennessee reconnect grant. Under present law, a student may continue to receive a Tennessee reconnect grant until the occurrence of the first of the following events: (A) The student has attained a degree or certificate in an eligible program of study; or (B) Five years have passed since the date of "initial enrollment as a Tennessee reconnect grant student," exclusive of any approved leaves of absence. This amendment revises this provision to instead provide for a terminating event of five years having passed since the date of "the student's enrollment in a term in which the student receives the student's first Tennessee reconnect grant," excluding any approved leave of absence.