Report Title:

Education; Felix Stipend Revolving Fund

 

Description:

Establishes the Felix stipend revolving fund, which shall be used by the department of education to deposit moneys received as repayment from students who have broken their contractual Felix stipend agreement with the department of education.

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

15

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that University of Hawaii students have breached their contractual agreements with the department of education in the Felix stipend program.  Through a memorandum of agreement, special tuition waivers from the department of education are made available to qualified candidates who enroll in special education teacher preparation programs at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate levels.  In exchange for these tuition waivers, teacher candidates agree to work for the department of education in the field of special education for a period of three to five years.  Since the program's inception in 1998, there have been instances of students not meeting their contractual obligations. The purpose of this Act is to create a revolving fund for the collection of stipend repayments for the Felix stipend program.

SECTION 2.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A-    Felix stipend revolving fund.  (a)  The Felix stipend program offers tuition waivers for qualified candidates who enroll at the University of Hawaii in special education teacher programs at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate levels in exchange for employment, immediately following completion of their teacher preparation program, at the department of education for a period of three to five years.  There is established the Felix stipend revolving fund into which shall be deposited all moneys received as repayment from students due to a breach in contractual agreements from the Felix stipend program.

(b)  The revolving fund shall be used by the department to provide ongoing funding for special education teaching programs, which has been a constant shortage area."

SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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