1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; establishing a grant program for social work students 
1.3 	completing an internship or practicum; requiring a report; appropriating money;
1.4 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 136A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [136A.1285] SOCIAL WORK INTERNSHIP GRANTS.
1.7 		Subdivision 1.Program established; definition. The commissioner of the Office of 
1.8 	Higher Education shall establish a grant program for Minnesota students preparing to become 
1.9 	licensed social workers and working in an internship or practicum.
1.10 		Subd. 2.Eligible students. (a) A student is eligible for a grant under this section if the 
1.11 	student:
1.12 	(1) is a resident student as defined in section 136A.101;
1.13 	(2) is in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress as defined 
1.14 	in section 136A.101;
1.15 	(3) has submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
1.16 	(4) is enrolled at an eligible institution, as defined in section 136A.101, in a baccalaureate 
1.17 	or postbaccalaureate degree-granting social work program accredited by the Council of 
1.18 	Social Work Education that requires completion of an internship or practicum; and
1.19 	(5) will be completing an internship or practicum in the academic term for which the 
1.20 	grant will be awarded.
2.1 	(b) To receive a grant under this section, a student must apply in the form and manner 
2.2 	specified by the commissioner. The application must include information about the student's 
2.3 	internship or practicum, verified by the individual responsible for supervising the internship 
2.4 	or practicum, including but not limited to information about compensation to the student 
2.5 	and work hours sufficient to calculate a grant award under subdivision 3.
2.6 	(c) A student may not receive more than one grant under this section.
2.7 		Subd. 3.Grant amounts. (a) A grant award amount under this section may not exceed 
2.8 	$10,000 and must be used in a single academic year.
2.9 	(b) Subject to the award maximum in paragraph (a), a student's grant award amount shall 
2.10 	equal the state minimum wage multiplied by the total number of hours to be worked in the 
2.11 	internship or practicum in a single academic year less any compensation to be paid to the 
2.12 	student by the internship or practicum.
2.13 	(c) The grant shall be paid directly to the institution where the recipient is enrolled.
2.14 		Subd. 4.Insufficient appropriation. If the amount appropriated for this program is 
2.15 	determined by the office to be insufficient to make full awards to all eligible applicants, the 
2.16 	commissioner shall prioritize awards to eligible applicants based on the applicants' individual 
2.17 	financial needs as determined by the federal needs analysis.
2.18 		Subd. 5.Report required. By February 15 of each year, the commissioner of the Office 
2.19 	of Higher Education shall submit a report on the details of the program under this section 
2.20 	to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over higher education finance and policy and 
2.21 	to the Legislative Reference Library as provided by section 3.195. The report shall include 
2.22 	the following information for the previous fiscal year:
2.23 	(1) the number of students applying for an award and receiving an award disaggregated 
2.24 	by institution attended and relevant demographic categories;
2.25 	(2) the total number of awards, the total dollar amount of all awards, and the average 
2.26 	award amount;
2.27 	(3) other information identified by the commissioner as outcome indicators, if any; and
2.28 	(4) recommendations to the legislature regarding the program, if any.

2.29 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment. The 
2.30 	commissioner shall begin offering grants under this section in the 2024-2025 academic 
2.31 	year.

3.1 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; SOCIAL WORK GRANT PROGRAM.
 3.2 	(a) $....... in fiscal year 2024 and $....... in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the 
3.3 	general fund to the commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for the social work 
3.4 	internship grant program under Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.1285.
3.5 	(b) The office may use no more than three percent of the amount appropriated under 
3.6 	this section to administer the grant program.