A proposal is making its way through the Alaska State Senate that aims to offer education to essential workers, via tuition grants for state-supported postsecondary schools. Senate Bill 10 is being sponsored by Senator Tom Begich.
The bill states that no more than $10 million may be allocated for this effort.
Senator Begich offered details earlier this week: “During this unprecedented time, thousands of Alaskans have remained steadfast. They’ve supported us with their commitment to our communities in doing jobs that put them at risk on a daily basis. Whether it’s restocking grocery shelves to delivering medicine, from hauling away our trash to continuing to care for the most vulnerable among us, essential workers have provided the critical support for our community that we’ve needed during this pandemic.”
He continued: “Now is the time for us to recognize those efforts and invest in this ready and able workforce. SB 10 establishes an essential worker grant program leveraging the dedication of our frontline workers in providing a tuition free pathway for them to enhance and grow the professional capacity. I might add, it’s a time-limited program, specifically meant not to be continuing – but to be an acknowledgement of this time, this very unique time that we’re in right now.”
Who qualifies as an essential worker? According to the bill, the list includes: a hospital or nursing home worker, a personal care attendant, a childcare provider for children of critical infrastructure workers, an employee of a PPE manufacturer, a public safety employee, janitorial or cleaning personnel, a solid waste disposal worker, a delivery driver, a grocery store worker, or document or record destruction personnel.
Eligible applicants for the grant include those who were employed as an essential worker in Alaska when the federal government declared a public health emergency on January 31 of last year, and either maintained that employment for the duration of the emergency or was laid-off either permanently or temporarily.
Also, the applicant should be already enrolled or be preparing to be enrolled at a state-supported postsecondary school as a half-time or full-time student. Those who have already completed a total of 90 or more credit hours at a postsecondary school are ineligible. With regards to residency, applicants must be Alaska residents for at least a year. Once enrolled in school with the grant, a 2.0 GPA must be maintained during each term for which a grant is helping fund.
On Wednesday, the bill was sent to the Senate Education Committee for further consideration.