AN ACT IMPROVING COLLEGE COMPLETIONS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2014) (a) There is established a Go Back to Get Ahead program, administered by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, for the purpose of encouraging individuals who previously enrolled in an associate's or bachelor's degree program, but left such program prior to its completion, to return to an institution of higher education to earn a degree.

(b) Within available resources from the Board of Regents - President's Office Operating Fund, the Go Back to Get Ahead program shall provide an incentive of up to three free three-credit courses necessary for the completion of an associate's or bachelor's degree to any resident of this state who previously enrolled in an associate's or bachelor's degree program at any public or independent institution of higher education, but who (1) left such program prior to completing it, and (2) has not attended any institution of higher education for at least eighteen months as of June 30, 2014. Said program shall be limited to individuals who enroll, not later than September 30, 2016, in an associate's or bachelor's degree program at a state college within the Connecticut State University System, a regional community-technical college or Charter Oak State College.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2014) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall establish and administer a fund to be known as the Board of Regents - President's Office Operating Fund. Any moneys made available from the general revenues of the state for the office of the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education may be transferred from the State Comptroller for deposit into said fund. Gifts and donations and state and federal funds and grants made to the office of the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall be credited to said fund. The board shall establish an equitable policy for allocation of moneys, gifts, donations, funds and grants deposited into and credited to said fund. At the beginning of each quarter of the fiscal year, the Board of Regents shall allocate and transfer, in accordance with said policy, to the institutional operating accounts moneys for expenditure by the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College, exclusive of the amounts retained for the office of the president's operations and reserves for future distribution.

Statement of Purpose:

To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]