O DUAL ENROLLMENT FOR FIFTH-YEAR

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

House Bills 5581 and 5582 (Substitutes H-1)

Sponsor:  Rep. John Moolenaar

Committee:  Higher Education

Complete to 3-23-04

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 5581 AND 5582 AS REPORTED FROM THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION 3-18-04

The bills would amend the Career Technical Preparation Act and the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act, respectively, in order to make a student who had been in high school for more than four years ineligible for participation.

For the purposes of determining whether a student had been enrolled for more than four years, a student would not be considered to be enrolled in high school for a school year if he or she was enrolled for less than 90 days of a school year due to illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the student or the student’s parent or guardian.

House Bill 5581 would also be amended to refer to the newly created Department of Labor and Economic Growth, which administers the Career Technical Preparation Act.  (The Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education.)

Under the Career Technical Preparation Act (MCL 388.1903), an eligible high school student can enroll in certain courses offered by a career and technical preparation program at a postsecondary institution with some or all of the cost paid for by the home school district.

Under the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act (MCL 388.513), eligible high school students can dual-enroll in high school courses and in postsecondary courses under certain conditions.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Under the Revised School Code, students are eligible for a fifth year of high school if they have not met the graduation requirements to obtain a high school diploma.  A student that is in the fifth year of high school would be eligible to participate in dual enrollment under section 21b of the School Aid Act, which allows a student’s foundation grant to be used for tuition and fees if the student is attending a postsecondary institution or a career and technical preparation program.  Currently, about 15 to 20 fifth-year high school students are participating in dual enrollment.  House Bills 5581 and 5582 would change this to prevent fifth-year high school students from participating in dual enrollment.  However, those students would still eligible to attend high school to finish their courses to obtain a high school diploma.  This legislation would most likely result in the students being counted as a partial FTE, saving the state a portion of the student’s foundation allowance and providing a small savings to the school aid fund.

POSITIONS:

 

            The Department of Labor and Economic Growth supports House Bill 5581 (3-23-04)

            The Department of Education has indicated support for House Bill 5582.  (3-18-04)

 

 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   Chris Couch

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Mary Ann Cleary

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.