SB-0482, As Passed House, December 18, 2008

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 482

     A bill to amend 2006 PA 479, entitled

"Michigan promise grant act,"

by amending sections 2 and 4 (MCL 390.1622 and 390.1624), as

amended by 2007 PA 42.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

     (a) "Academic year" means the period from September 1 of a

calendar year to August 31 of the next calendar year.

     (b) "Approved postsecondary educational institution" means any

of the following:

     (i) A public or private college or university, junior college,

or community college that grants degrees or certificates and is

located in this state.

     (ii) A postsecondary educational institution, other than an

educational institution described in subparagraph (i), that is

located in this state, grants degrees, certificates, or other

recognized credentials, and is designated by the department as an

approved postsecondary educational institution.

     (iii) A service academy.

     (c) "Clock hour" means a time period consisting of any of the

following:

     (i) Fifty to 60 minutes of class, lecture, or recitation in a

60-minute period.

     (ii) Fifty to 60 minutes of faculty-supervised laboratory work,

shop training, or internship in a 60-minute period.

     (iii) Sixty minutes of preparation in a correspondence course.

     (d) "Cumulative grade point average" means the weighted mean

value of the courses considered by an approved postsecondary

educational institution in determining whether to award a student

an associate's degree or a 2-year certificate of completion in a

vocational training program, whether the student has completed a

comparable vocational education program, or whether the student has

completed 50% or more of the academic requirements for the award of

a bachelor's degree, including any courses completed at another

approved postsecondary educational institution if the student

transfers the credits for those courses to the approved

postsecondary educational institution making that determination.

     (e) "Department" means the department of treasury.

     (f) "Fiscal year" means a fiscal year of this state. A fiscal

year begins on October 1 of a calendar year and ends on September

30 of the next calendar year.

     (g) "High school graduate" means an individual who has

received a high school diploma from a high school or passed the

general educational development (GED) diploma test or any other

high school graduate equivalency examination approved by the state

board of education.

     (h) "Michigan promise grant" means a grant awarded by the

department under this act.

     (i) "Qualifying score" means a score in a reading, writing,

mathematics, or science, or social studies component of a state

assessment test that has been determined by the superintendent of

public instruction to indicate readiness to enroll in a course in

that subject area in an approved postsecondary educational

institution.

     (j) "Service academy" means the United States military

academy, United States naval academy, United States air force

academy, United States coast guard academy, or United States

merchant marine academy.

     (k) "State assessment test" means any of the following:

     (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii), the complete Michigan merit

examination described in section 1279g of the revised school code,

1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1279g, and section 104b of the state school

aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1704b. , or any

     (ii) For a student who has previously taken the complete

Michigan merit examination, the college examination component of

the Michigan merit examination, as described in section 1279g(2)(a)

of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1279g, and section

104b(2)(a) of the state school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL

388.1704b.

     (iii) Any other test administered by the department of education

to students in grades 11 and 12 to assure state compliance with the

federal no child left behind act of 2001, Public Law 107-110.

     (l) "Trust fund" means the Michigan merit award trust fund

established in section 9 of the Michigan trust fund act, 2000 PA

489, MCL 12.259.

     Sec. 4. (1) The Michigan promise grant program is established.

The department shall provide Michigan promise grants under this act

from the trust fund and administer the Michigan promise grant

program.

     (2) Subject to subsection (3), each student who becomes a high

school graduate in or after the 2006-2007 academic year is eligible

for the award of a Michigan promise grant in an amount determined

under section 5 or 6.

     (3) In addition to the requirements set forth in subsection

(2), the department must find that a student meets all of the

following eligibility requirements to award the student a Michigan

promise grant under this act:

     (a) The department has received a completed application for

payment as described in section 7(1), including the certification

described in section 7(2) or (3), if applicable, on or before

November 15 of the state fiscal year in which they are eligible to

receive payment.

     (b) The student is a high school graduate and a resident of

this state.

     (c) The student meets 1 of the following:

     (i) For a grant under section 5, the student was awarded an

associate's degree or a 2-year certificate of completion in a

vocational training program at an approved postsecondary

educational institution, completed a comparable vocational

education program approved by the department at an approved

postsecondary educational institution, or completed 50% or more of

the academic requirements for the award of a bachelor's degree at

an approved postsecondary educational institution within 4 years of

his or her initial enrollment in an approved postsecondary

educational institution and meets 1 of the following:

     (A) Has a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5.

     (B) If the student completed a vocational education program

that does not record grades or grade point averages for its

students, has successfully completed that program.

     (ii) For a grant under section 6, the student received a

qualifying score in each of the reading, writing, mathematics, and

science, and social studies components of the state assessment

test, and for each student who becomes a high school graduate in or

after the 2010-2011 academic year, successfully completes at least

3 credits in mathematics and 3 credits in social science as

described in section 1278a(1)(a)(i) 1278a(1)(a) of the revised

school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1278a, and 3 credits in science

as described in section 1278b(1)(b) of the revised school code,

1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1278b.

     (d) The student took the state assessment test.

     (e) The student enrolled in an approved postsecondary

educational institution within 2 years after he or she became a

high school graduate. The department shall extend the 2-year period

if the student becomes a member of the United States armed forces

or peace corps during the 2-year period.

     (f) The student did not previously receive a grant under this

act or scholarship money under the Michigan merit award scholarship

act, 1999 PA 94, MCL 390.1451 to 390.1459.

     (g) The student meets any additional eligibility requirements

established by the department.