Repealed by S.L. 2019, ch. 146, § 4.
15-10-38.1. Skilled workforce student loan repayment program - Skilled workforce student loan repayment program fund - Continuing appropriation - Report. 1. There is created in the state treasury the skilled workforce student loan repayment program fund. The fund consists of moneys transferred into the fund by the legislative assembly, matching funds received, and loan repayments. Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the state board of higher education on a continuing basis for the purpose of distributing student loan repayment grants directly to the Bank of North Dakota or other participating lender to repay outstanding student loan principal balances for eligible applicants. The state board of higher education may transfer money between this fund and the skilled workforce scholarship fund established in section 15-10-38.2. 2. The state board of higher education shall adopt policies and procedures to develop, implement, promote, and administer a skilled workforce student loan repayment program in cooperation with the Bank of North Dakota and the North Dakota workforce development council with the intent of attracting and retaining individuals for professional or technical skills in high demand in this state. 3. The North Dakota workforce development council in cooperation with job service North Dakota shall use available labor market information to determine annually the eligible high-demand professional and technical skills and emerging occupations in this state. 4. Graduates of degree or certificate programs from institutions or entities in any state may apply for the skilled workforce student loan repayment program. To be eligible to receive student loan repayment grants under the program, the applicant: a. Must have successfully completed an educational program from an institution of higher education; b. Must have a student loan with the Bank of North Dakota or other participating lender; c. Following completion of an educational program, must reside and work in this state in an eligible high-demand or emerging occupation or reside within fifty miles [80.47 kilometers] of this state and work in this state in an eligible high-demand or emerging occupation; and d. Must have met and shall continue to meet any requirements established in applicable state board of higher education procedures. 5. The requirement under subdivision c of subsection 4 is met if an individual is enrolled in or has completed a master of science degree in nursing while teaching four clinical credits per year and resides and works in this state in an occupation requiring the degree. 6. The state board of higher education shall adopt procedures to ensure compliance with residency and occupation requirements after completion of the educational program. 7. The state board of higher education shall distribute student loan repayment grants from the skilled workforce student loan repayment program fund directly to the Bank of North Dakota or other participating lender to repay outstanding student loan principal balances for eligible applicants. The maximum annual student loan repayment grant amount for which an applicant may qualify is five thousand six hundred sixty-seven dollars, or one-third of the applicant's outstanding student loan principal balance upon initial application for the program, whichever is less. The maximum total student loan repayment grant amount for which any applicant may qualify is seventeen thousand dollars. 8. If an individual is receiving loan forgiveness under any other state program, the individual may not receive a student loan repayment grant under this section during the same application year.
9. An individual may receive a combined total of no more than seventeen thousand dollars under this section and the skilled workforce scholarship program under section 15-10-38.2. 10. The state board of higher education shall provide one dollar of funding for each one dollar of funds raised from the private sector or other public sources. Any matching funds received must be deposited in the skilled workforce student loan repayment program fund. 11. An applicant for student loan repayment under this section is ineligible if the applicant: a. Provides or directs matching funds; or b. Is the husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepchild, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, or grandchild of: (1) The individual providing or directing matching funds; or (2) An individual authorized to make decisions on behalf of an entity providing or directing matching funds, including a controlling shareholder, member of the governing body, director, or managing partner. 12. The state board of higher education shall provide a biennial program report to the legislative management by September first of each even-numbered year. The report must include information regarding: a. The eligible high-demand professional and technical skills and emerging occupations; b. The number of applicants, eligible applicants, and applicants receiving awards; c. The amount of matching funds raised; and d. The average and total amounts awarded under the program.
15-10-38.2. Skilled workforce scholarship program - Skilled workforce scholarship fund - Continuing appropriation - Report. 1. There is created in the state treasury the skilled workforce scholarship fund. The fund consists of moneys transferred into the fund by the legislative assembly, matching funds received, and scholarship repayments. Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the state board of higher education on a continuing basis for the purpose of providing grants to institutions of higher education related to skilled workforce scholarships. Institutions of higher education include institutions under the control of the state board of higher education, North Dakota nonpublic accredited institutions of higher education, tribally controlled community colleges, state-approved educator training programs, and North Dakota institutions approved to operate by the North Dakota board of career and technical education. The state board of higher education may transfer money between this fund and the skilled workforce student loan repayment program fund established in section 15-10-38.1. 2. The state board of higher education shall adopt policies and procedures to develop, implement, promote, and administer a skilled workforce scholarship program in cooperation with the Bank of North Dakota and the North Dakota workforce development council with the intent of attracting and retaining individuals for professional or technical skills in high demand in this state. 3. The North Dakota workforce development council in cooperation with job service North Dakota shall use available labor market information to determine annually the eligible high-demand professional and technical skills and emerging occupations in this state. 4. The state board of higher education and the workforce development council shall compile a list of qualifying educational programs annually. A qualifying educational program: a. Is a program resulting in attainment of an associate's degree or lower credential program that may be completed within four semesters, six quarters, or the final two years of a baccalaureate program. b. Must pertain to the professional and technical skills and emerging occupations in high demand in this state, as determined under subsection 3. c. May include degree or certificate programs.
d. Notwithstanding any other requirements under this subsection, is a program resulting in attainment of a master of science degree in nursing, if the individual teaches four clinical credits per calendar year. 5. Individuals enrolled in a qualifying educational program in this state may apply for a scholarship under this section. Scholarships are limited to the amount charged each quarter, semester, or term by the educational institution for the tuition, fees, books, and supplies required for the qualifying educational program. The scholarships are intended to supplement any other scholarship or financial aid grant received by a student to assist the student with the costs of the qualifying educational program. An individual may not receive a combined total exceeding seventeen thousand dollars under this section and the skilled workforce loan repayment program under section 15-10-38.1. 6. To be eligible for a scholarship payment under this section, a student must be enrolled full time in an eligible program and have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average, based on a 4.0 grading system, or maintain academic progress in the program according to program requirements. A student may not receive scholarships under this section for more than the equivalent of four semesters of full-time enrollment or six quarters of full-time enrollment. 7. Upon completion of a qualifying educational program, a student who received a scholarship under this section must reside and work in this state in an eligible high-demand or emerging occupation for a minimum of three years or reside within fifty miles [80.47 kilometers] of this state and work in this state in an eligible high-demand or emerging occupation for a minimum of three years. 8. Except as provided in subsection 9, an individual shall repay the scholarship, excluding the matching funds portion of the scholarship, pursuant to the terms in the individual's scholarship award agreement if the individual fails to maintain academic progress according to program requirements while enrolled, withdraws voluntarily or involuntarily before the completion of the program for which a scholarship has been received, or fails to comply with subsection 7. 9. An individual who receives a scholarship under this section and who transfers from one eligible academic program to another eligible academic program must complete the program within two years and meet all other eligibility requirements to be exempt from the repayment provisions under subsection 8. 10. The state board of higher education, in conjunction with the Bank of North Dakota, may allow an individual who received payment under this section to delay or cancel repayment under this section due to financial difficulty, military service, death, or total disability. 11. Each quarter, semester, or term, the state board of higher education shall distribute grants to institutions of higher education to provide the amounts necessary for the scholarships awarded to the students enrolled in each institution. 12. The state board of higher education shall provide one dollar of funding for each one dollar raised from the private sector or other public sources. Any matching funds received must be deposited in the skilled workforce scholarship fund. 13. An applicant for a scholarship payment under this section is ineligible if the applicant: a. Provides or directs matching funds; or b. Is the husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepchild, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, or grandchild of: (1) The individual providing or directing matching funds; or (2) An individual authorized to make decisions on behalf of an entity providing or directing matching funds, including a controlling shareholder, member of the governing body, director, or managing partner. 14. The state board of higher education may not issue a scholarship under this section which is in excess of the total cost of attendance, as determined by the institution of higher education, when considering all financial aid sources.
15. The state board of higher education shall provide a biennial program report to the legislative management by September first of each even-numbered year. The report must include information regarding: a. The eligible high-demand professional and technical skills and emerging occupations; b. The qualifying educational programs; c. The number of applicants, eligible applicants, and applicants receiving awards; d. The amount of matching funds raised; and e. The average and total amounts awarded under the program.