AB 546

This bill creates the Growing Rural Opportunities and Workforce in Wisconsin

Program (GROW Wisconsin program), administered by the Higher Educational Aids

Board (HEAB), that provides student loan reimbursement payments to individuals

who relocate to certain rural counties. Under the program, an individual with an

outstanding balance on a student loan may apply to HEAB for student loan

reimbursement payments if 1) the individual obtained a degree, or an embedded

pathway certificate or technical diploma, prior to establishing residency in a rural

opportunity community and prior to applying to HEAB; and 2) the individual

establishes residency in a rural opportunity community after the applicable county

board adopts a resolution to participate in the GROW Wisconsin program

(authorizing resolution). The authorizing resolution must include an irrevocable

commitment by the county to participate in the program for at least five years and

must specify the maximum total of all payments by the county toward the

outstanding balance of an individual's student loan, which payments may not exceed

the lesser of $7,500 or 10 percent of the outstanding balance of the student loan. A

"rural opportunity community" is a county that has adopted an authorizing

resolution and that is certified by the secretary of workforce development as an

eligible rural county based on certain criteria. Under the GROW Wisconsin program,

HEAB makes annual student loan payments to an individual's lender in the amount

of 10 percent of the outstanding balance of the individual's student loan, but not

exceeding a total of $7,500 or the maximum amount of payment authorized by the

rural opportunity community. The rural opportunity community, under the

authorizing resolution, also makes payments toward the outstanding balance of the

individual's student loan, and HEAB's payments may not exceed the amount of the

payments by the rural opportunity community. HEAB may not make payments

under the program for an individual for more than five years and must cease

payments if the individual relocates outside the rural opportunity community. If the

amount appropriated for HEAB's payments is insufficient, HEAB must prorate its

payments.

Also under the bill, a county that is not a rural opportunity community (a

non-ROC) may create a program that is similar to the program created under the

bill, except that the board of such a county may set the maximum annual and total

payments at whatever amount it considers appropriate. An individual who is eligible

for a reimbursement payment from a program established by a non-ROC is not

eligible to receive a state matching grant under the state program. In addition, a

non-ROC may partner with any city, village, or town that is located wholly or partly

within the county, or with any other person, to help the non-ROC fund the county

program.