MN SF4153

Establishes a southwestern Minnesota workforce development scholarship pilot program administered by the Southwest Initiative Foundation, serving 18 counties and two tribal communities in southwest Minnesota.

Allocates scholarships to seven Minnesota West colleges (Canby, Granite Falls, Pipestone, Worthington, Jackson, Luverne, and Marshall) for students enrolling in high-demand occupation programs at least half-time.

Prioritizes scholarship awards first to program-continuing students, then to employer-sponsored applicants with local employer scholarships equal to or greater than 25 percent of the workforce development scholarship.

Requires scholarship recipients to commit to three years of full-time employment with a sponsoring local employer or any qualified local employer in high-demand occupations within the service area; allows conversion to loans if recipients fail to meet requirements.

Appropriates $700,000 in fiscal year 2023 from the workforce development fund for the program, available through June 30, 2027, and provides local employers a tax credit equal to their scholarship contributions to employer-sponsored applicants.