A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to study the Impact and funding of undergraduate summer school courses IN improving graduation rates and student academic success; and to appropriate Funds to support expansion of the COLLEGE ADVISING CORPS to ensure COLLEGE ADVISERS are available IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS to assist students in planning for fulfillment OF POSTSECONDARY education goals.
Whereas, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina and the staff of The University of North Carolina System Office have worked diligently on analyzing the positive impact enrollment in undergraduate summer school courses has on graduation rates, student academic success, and reduced cost of attaining a secondary degree; and,
Whereas, further information is needed for the General Assembly to determine how to move forward on the issue of funding undergraduate summer school courses; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PART I. STUDY FUNDING of undergraduate SUMMER SCHOOL COurses
SECTION 1.(a)  The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall study and evaluate the impact of undergraduate summer school courses in improving student academic success, overall college completion rates, and four‑year graduation rates and potential funding options. In conducting its study, the Board of Governors shall examine and include in its report, as a minimum, the most recent six years of available data, and shall include data both systemwide and by each constituent institution, when available. The Board of Governors shall study, at a minimum, the following:
(1)	Total enrollment of students in undergraduate summer school courses.
(2)	Number and percentage of students who completed a degree after enrolling in undergraduate summer school courses as compared to students who did not enroll in undergraduate summer school courses.
(3)	Number and percentage of students who completed a degree within four or less years, five years, and six years after enrolling in undergraduate summer school courses as compared to students who did not enroll in undergraduate summer school courses.
(4)	Most‑utilized undergraduate summer school courses.
(5)	Methodology for selection of summer school course offerings to ensure that those courses reliably improve degree completion and four‑year graduation rates.
(6)	Pacing and structure of summer school courses over one or more sessions.
(7)	Evaluation of funding methods, including State funding, for summer school courses or year‑round enrollment in other state public university systems.
(8)	Compensation methods for undergraduate summer school courses for tenured or tenure‑track faculty, adjunct faculty, and graduate students.
(9)	Impact of undergraduate summer school instruction on current faculty contracts.
(10)	Proportion of undergraduate summer school courses taught by tenured or tenure‑track faculty, adjunct faculty, and graduate students.
(11)	Campus services provided to students enrolled in undergraduate summer school courses, if any, including residence halls, dining halls, and other student services.
(12)	For students enrolled in undergraduate summer school courses, financial aid availability, methods used by students to pay for courses, and number and percentage of students using some form of financial aid to pay for courses.
(13)	Any other issues deemed relevant by the Board of Governors.
SECTION 1.(b)  The Board of Governors shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division by March 15, 2020, on its findings and recommendations on undergraduate summer school courses and potential funding options, and may include recommendations for legislation as part of the report.

PART II. COLLEGE ADVISING CORPS/COLLEGE ADVISERS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SECTION 2.(a)  Purpose of the College Advising Corps Program. – From the funds appropriated by this act for the 2019‑2021 fiscal biennium to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina for the College Advising Corps program, the Board of Governors shall provide a directed grant to the National College Advising Corps, Inc., (CAC) to support an expansion of the placement of college advisers in North Carolina public schools through their program over a three‑year period. CAC is a college access nonprofit organization with the mission to increase the number of underrepresented, low‑income, or first‑generation postsecondary degree or certificate students entering and completing their postsecondary education at community colleges and universities. In furthering this mission, CAC operates an innovative model of partnering with schools, communities, families, and postsecondary institutions, including providing for a two‑year service opportunity to recent college graduates as near‑peer college advisers working full‑time in the public schools, with an emphasis on engaging college advisers who have similar backgrounds to the students the program seeks to serve. Near‑peer college advisers perform various services for those students that are key components to the proven success of the program, including (i) attending postsecondary campus visits, fairs, and workshops with students, (ii) assisting with registering for college entrance exams, (iii) assisting with Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) registrations and completions, (iv) identifying available scholarships, (v) assisting with postsecondary applications, and (vi) engaging with parents.
SECTION 2.(b)  Due to the effectiveness of the innovative model operated by CAC and the potential for significantly impacting the highest‑need students as described in subsection (a) of this section, the following funds are appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to be provided each fiscal year of the 2019‑2021 fiscal biennium to CAC for the purpose of expanding the placement of college advisers in accordance with the requirements of this act:
(1)	For the 2019‑2020 fiscal year, the sum of one million eight hundred eighty‑one thousand eight hundred sixty‑one dollars ($1,881,861) in recurring funds.
(2)	For the 2020‑2021 fiscal year, an additional sum of six hundred eighteen thousand one hundred thirty‑nine dollars ($618,139) in recurring funds for a net appropriation of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) in recurring funds.
SECTION 2.(c)  Funds for the Third Year of the Program. – It is the intent of the General Assembly to appropriate from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina an additional sum of three hundred thirty‑three thousand three hundred thirty‑three dollars ($333,333) in recurring funds for a net appropriation of two million eight hundred thirty‑three thousand three hundred thirty‑three dollars ($2,833,333) in recurring funds to be provided to CAC for the 2021‑2022 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years for the purpose of expanding the placement of college advisers to all 100 counties of the State in the third year of the expansion of the CAC program.
SECTION 2.(d)  Matching Funds. – Funds made available to CAC pursuant to this section shall be matched by CAC on the basis of two dollars ($2.00) in non‑State funds for every one dollar ($1.00) in State funds. Availability of these matching funds shall not revert but shall continue to be available for the purposes set forth in this section.
SECTION 2.(e)  Use of Funds. – CAC shall focus the first two years of the expansion of its program using the funds provided to it under this section by placing college advisers in counties designated as tier one and tier two. For the third year of the expansion, CAC shall use the funds provided to it to place college advisers in the remaining counties designated as tier three in order to achieve placement of college advisers in all 100 counties of the State. In addition, CAC shall select at least three additional postsecondary institutions to partner with in order to increase the number of recent graduates working as near‑peer college advisers to meet the needs of the program expansion. Once CAC has reached the goal of placement of college advisers in 100 counties, the funds provided to it for the program shall be used to continue the mission of the program to increase access for North Carolina public school students to postsecondary degree or certificate attainment at community colleges and universities.
SECTION 2.(f)  Reporting Requirements. – CAC shall submit a report by June 1 of each year in which CAC spends State funds made available to it pursuant to this section to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division on the progress of expanding the placement of college advisers, data on the effectiveness of the program in increasing access for students to postsecondary education, and the use of State funds.
SECTION 2.(g)  If any provision of this section and G.S. 143C‑5‑4 are in conflict, the provisions of this section shall prevail.
SECTION 2.(h)  The appropriations and the authorizations to allocate and spend funds which are set out in this section shall remain in effect until the Current Operations Appropriations Act for the applicable fiscal year becomes law, at which time that act shall become effective and shall govern appropriations and expenditures. When the Current Operations Appropriations Act for that fiscal year becomes law, the Director of the Budget shall adjust allotments to give effect to that act from July 1 of the fiscal year.
SECTION 2.(i)  This section becomes effective July 1, 2019.

PART III. EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 3.  Except as otherwise provided herein, this act is effective when it becomes law.