ELIGIBILITY
House Bill 5756
Sponsor: Rep. Eileen DeHart
Committee: Education
Complete to 6-23-00
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5756 AS INTRODUCED 5-9-00
House Bill 5756 would amend Public Act 208 of 1964, an act that concerns postsecondary scholarships, in order to revise the eligibility criteria for the scholarships. Under the bill, an applicant could become eligible either by attaining the necessary score on the state competitive scholarship examination, or by achieving the necessary minimum high school grade point average.
Currently the law specifies that the higher education assistance authority may administer a competitive examination among eligible applicants for state competitive scholarships, and annually set the scores that are necessary to qualify, according to the funding available. House Bill 5756 would add high school grade point average as an eligibility criterion, and require the authority to identify the minimum high school grade point average necessary to qualify for a scholarship. However, under the bill the authority could not establish a minimum high school grade point average that was less than 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent on another scale). Under the bill, the authority also would be required to promulgate rules for determining the high school grade point average.
Further, House Bill 5756 specifies that beginning in the 1999-2000 academic year, and through the 2005-2006 academic year, an applicant who was not eligible for a first-year scholarship because he or she did not meet the examination score or grade point eligibility criteria, could be eligible for a scholarship if the authority determined that the applicant fulfilled all of the following: a) met the state residency and graduation requirements; b) had completed at least one full academic year in a course of study at an approved postsecondary institution; and, c) had achieved the necessary postsecondary grade point average. Under the bill, a person who received a scholarship under this section of the act would be required to use it within eight years after eligibility had been determined. A scholarship awarded under this section would be for a period of one academic year, and could be renewed according to the renewal terms and conditions specified in the law.
Finally, current law now specifies that four scholarships must be allotted to each class "A" high school, three to each class "B" high school, two to each class "C" high school, and one to each class "D" high school, although under the law this procedure is implemented only after sufficient additional funds are appropriated so as to not displace any student eligible for an award through the other awarding procedures established under the act. These scholarships, too, are awarded to those students having the highest competitive examination score, and who otherwise meet all eligibility
requirements, including demonstrated financial need. Under House Bill 5756 these scholarships would be awarded to those having the highest examination score, or the highest high school grade point average, as designated by the high school. The bill would require that a high school designate the criteria it chose to award its allotment of scholarships before the beginning of the school year in which the scholarships were to be awarded.
MCL 390.973, 390.974, and 390.981
Analyst: J. Hunault