House of Representatives

SB 1183

early graduation scholarship program; definitions

Sponsor: Senator Tibshraeny

W/D	Committee on Judiciary
DPAS/e	Committee on Appropriations
DPA	Caucus and COW
X	As Transmitted to the Governor

SB 1183 requires school districts and charter schools that provide instruction in grades 9-12 to develop, implement and administer an Early Graduation Scholarship Program.  The Program must provide eligible students with a grant to pay a specified amount for tuition, books and fees charged by a qualifying school not to exceed two years. 

Provisions

· Requires school districts and charter schools that provide instruction in grades 9-12 to develop, implement and administer the Program to provide eligible students with a scholarship grant to pay all or a portion of the tuition, books and fees charged at a qualifying school for a maximum of two years.  School districts and charter schools must:

· Develop application forms, procedures and deadlines.

· Provide a scholarship to an eligible student who must immediately restrictively endorse the scholarship to the qualifying school.

· Deposit $2,000 for each pupil who graduates early in an Early Graduation Scholarship Fund to make awards for payment of tuition and fees at qualifying schools for selected students participating in the Program.  Any remaining monies may be placed in a school district’s or charter school’s Maintenance and Operations Fund.

· Award scholarship grants to eligible students in the order in which applications were received if the amount of monies available for scholarship grants in any fiscal year is insufficient to provide all eligible applicants with a scholarship grant.  Priority must be given to qualifying students who received a scholarship in the previous fiscal year and who are still in good academic standing at a qualifying school.

· Maintain a waiting list for applicants.

· Requires that a student’s postsecondary instruction must be completed within 36 months of graduation from high school. 

· Establishes a grant amount.

· Establishes eligibility criteria.

· Continues the student count and per pupil funding for a school district or charter school for students who graduate early until the student’s class is scheduled to graduate.

· Requires a student to reimburse the school district’s or charter school’s Early Graduation Scholarship Fund for any scholarship grant if the school district or charter school is notified by a qualifying school that a student who has received a scholarship grant is no longer in good academic standing or is no longer enrolled in the qualifying school.

· Provides that a student who receives an Early Graduation Scholarship Grant must be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities at no cost until the student’s high school class is scheduled to graduate and to participate in the student’s high school graduation ceremonies at no cost to the student.

· Defines the term qualifying school.

· Makes technical and conforming changes.

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Forty-eighth Legislature

First Regular Session  2          May 2, 2007

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