This bill mandates that a minimum of 50 percent of the funds allocated for the Iowa tuition grant program be awarded to students pursuing academic majors that align with high-wage and high-demand jobs. To facilitate this, the workforce development board, in collaboration with the Iowa association of independent colleges and universities, is tasked with creating and maintaining a list of such jobs and corresponding majors. The list must be updated at least every two years and will include criteria such as an entry-level annual salary of at least $40,000 and a requirement for a bachelor's degree or an initial Iowa teaching license.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new subsection to Section 84A.1B of the Iowa Code, which outlines the responsibilities of the workforce development board in creating the job list. The effective date of this provision is immediate upon enactment, ensuring that the new requirements for the tuition grant program can be implemented without delay.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 84A.1B, 256.183