§ 11-209. Near completer initiatives.

   (a) "Near completer" defined. -- In this section, "near completer" means an individual who has completed some college credits but does not have a college degree and is no longer attending an institution of higher education.

(b) Communication campaign. -- The Commission, in collaboration with institutions of higher education, shall create a statewide communication campaign to identify near completers in the State and to encourage near completers to re-enroll in an institution of higher education to earn a degree.

(c) Communication campaign -- Components. -- The communication campaign shall:

   (1) Make use of a variety of marketing media, including billboards, brochures, and electronic resources;

   (2) Provide a centralized contact point for near completers to get information about and assistance with re-enrolling;

   (3) Make readily available contact information for each public institution of higher education in the State; and

   (4) Focus on near completers who:

      (i) Earned a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 while in college; and

      (ii) 1. Earned at least 45 credit hours if the individual attended a community college; or

         2. Earned at least 90 credit hours if the individual attended a senior higher education institution.

(d) Incentive plan. --

   (1) The Commission shall develop and implement a plan that would provide an incentive to:

      (i) A near completer to re-enroll and earn a degree; and

      (ii) A college to identify and graduate near completers.

   (2) The incentive plan shall use all available resources, including institutional funds, private sector funds, and State funds.

(e) Other initiatives. -- The Commission and institutions of higher education may implement other near completer initiatives in addition to the campaign and incentive plan required under this section.

(f) Reports. -- By December 1, 2013, the Commission shall submit a report, in accordance with § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly on the details of the statewide communication campaign and the incentive plan, including the expected timeline for implementation.

HISTORY: 2013, ch. 533.