The bill SB1742 introduces the Arizona Community Colleges Promise Program Fund, which is to be administered by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) and funded through legislative appropriations. The fund is designed to provide financial assistance to eligible students attending community colleges in Arizona. The bill outlines the distribution of funds to community college districts (CCDs), with 20% divided equally among all CCDs and 80% distributed proportionally based on full-time equivalent student enrollment. It also establishes eligibility criteria for students to receive initial and ongoing financial aid awards, and allows for up to 10% of the funds to be used by CCDs for administrative expenses and student support services.

Additionally, the bill repeals the Spouses and Dependents of Law Enforcement Officers Tuition Scholarship Fund as of July 1, 2025, transferring any remaining monies to the state General Fund. It also includes provisions for the required state match for the Arizona Financial Aid Trust Fund to be less than two dollars for each dollar raised by the surcharge on student registration fees for fiscal year 2024-2025. Furthermore, it specifies that state aid for CCD STEM and workforce development programs, as well as operating state aid for CCDs, for fiscal year 2024-2025 is as prescribed in the FY 2025 General Appropriations Act. The bill becomes effective on the general effective date.

Statutes affected:
Senate Engrossed Version: 15-1705