July 6, 2004, Introduced by Rep. Stewart and referred to the Committee on Higher Education.
A bill to amend 1999 PA 94, entitled
"Michigan merit award scholarship act,"
by amending section 7 (MCL 390.1457), as amended by 2002 PA 736.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 7. (1) The Michigan merit award scholarship program is
2 established. The board shall administer the Michigan merit award
3 scholarship program.
4 (2) Subject to subsection (6), each student enrolled in grade
5 11 in or after the 1998-1999 school year who meets the
6 requirements of subsection (4), and subject to adjustment under
7 subsection (5), is eligible for the award of a $2,500.00 Michigan
8 merit award scholarship if the student is enrolled in an approved
9 postsecondary educational institution in this state or in a
10 service academy, or the award of a $1,000.00 Michigan merit award
11 scholarship if the student is enrolled in an approved
1 postsecondary educational institution outside this state other
2 than a service academy, if the board finds that the student while
3 in high school has taken the assessment test in the subject areas
4 of reading, writing, mathematics, and science, or beginning with
5 assessment tests taken by students after the 2003-2004 school
6 year, reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies,
7 and meets 1 of the following:
8 (a) Has received qualifying results in each of the subject
9 areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science, or beginning
10 with assessment tests taken by students after the 2003-2004
11 school year, reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social
12 studies.
13 (b) Did not receive qualifying results in 1 or 2 of the
14 subject areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science, or
15 beginning with assessment tests taken by students after the
16 2003-2004 school year, reading, writing, mathematics, science,
17 and social studies, but received an overall score in the top 25%
18 of a nationally recognized college admission examination.
19 (c) Did not receive qualifying results in 1 or 2 of the
20 subject areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science, or
21 beginning with assessment tests taken by students after the
22 2003-2004 school year, reading, writing, mathematics, science,
23 and social studies, but received a qualifying score or scores as
24 determined by the board on a nationally recognized job skills
25 assessment test designated by the board.
26 (3) Subject to subsection (6) and to adjustment under
27 subsection (5), a student who was enrolled in grade 7 in or after
1 the 1999-2000 school year and who the board finds has taken the
2 assessment test in each of the subject areas while in grades 7
3 and 8 is eligible for 1 of the following additional Michigan
4 merit award scholarships:
5 (a) In school years before the 2004-2005 school year, 1 of
6 the following:
7 (i) (a) If
the board finds that the student while in grades
8 7 and 8 received qualifying results in 2 of the subject areas of
9 reading, writing, mathematics, and science, an additional
10 Michigan merit award scholarship of $250.00.
11 (ii) (b) If
the board finds that the student while in
12 grades 7 and 8 received qualifying results in 3 of the subject
13 areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science, an
14 additional Michigan merit award scholarship of $375.00.
15 (iii) (c) If
the board finds that the student while in
16 grades 7 and 8 received qualifying results in all of the subject
17 areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science, an
18 additional Michigan merit award scholarship of $500.00.
19 (b) Beginning with assessment tests taken by students after
20 the 2003-2004 school year, 1 of the following:
21 (i) If the board finds that the student while in grades 7 and
22 8 received qualifying results in 2 of the subject areas of
23 reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, an
24 additional Michigan merit award scholarship of $200.00.
25 (ii) If the board finds that the student while in grades 7
26 and 8 received qualifying results in 3 of the subject areas of
27 reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, an
1 additional Michigan merit award scholarship of $300.00.
2 (iii) If the board finds that the student while in grades 7
3 and 8 received qualifying results in 4 of the subject areas of
4 reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, an
5 additional Michigan merit award scholarship of $400.00.
6 (iv) If the board finds that the student while in grades 7
7 and 8 received qualifying results in all of the subject areas of
8 reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, an
9 additional Michigan merit award scholarship of $500.00.
10 (4) In addition to the requirements set forth in subsections
11 (2) and (3), to be eligible for the award of 1 or both Michigan
12 merit award scholarships under this section, the board must find
13 that a student satisfies all of the following:
14 (a) The student has graduated from high school or passed the
15 general educational development (GED) test or other graduate
16 equivalency examination approved by the state board.
17 (b) The student graduated from high school or passed the
18 general educational development (GED) test or other graduate
19 equivalency examination approved by the state board within 1 of
20 the following time periods:
21 (i) If the student graduated from high school or passed the
22 test or examination before March 1, 2002, within the 7-year
23 period preceding the student's application to receive his or her
24 Michigan merit award scholarship money.
25 (ii) If the student graduated on or after March 1, 2002,
26 within the 4-year period preceding the date of the student's
27 application to receive his or her Michigan merit award
1 scholarship money, or if the student becomes a member of the
2 United States armed forces or peace corps during this 4-year
3 period and serves for 4 years or less, the 4-year period is
4 extended by a period equal to the number of days the student
5 served as a member of the United States armed forces or peace
6 corps. The board may also extend the 4-year period if the board
7 determines that an extension is warranted because of an illness
8 or disability of the student or in the student's immediate family
9 or another family emergency.
10 (c) The student is enrolled in an approved postsecondary
11 educational institution. For students who qualify under
12 subsection (2)(c), the student is enrolled in a vocational or
13 technical education program at an approved postsecondary
14 educational institution.
15 (d) The student has not been convicted of a felony involving
16 an assault, physical injury, or death.
17 (e) The student satisfies any additional eligibility
18 requirements established by the board.
19 (5) In any fiscal year, the board may adjust the amount of a
20 Michigan merit award scholarship available to students eligible
21 under 1 or more of subsections (2), (3), and (9), based upon its
22 determination of available resources and amounts appropriated,
23 but the board shall not increase an amount by more than 5% in any
24 fiscal year. The board shall notify the governor, the speaker of
25 the house of representatives, and the majority leader of the
26 senate in writing at least 30 days before an adjustment under
27 this subsection.
1 (6) For assessment tests administered after January 1, 2000,
2 the board shall not use the assessment test to determine
3 eligibility for a Michigan merit award scholarship under this
4 section for a particular year unless the board has reviewed and
5 approved the assessment test before it was administered for that
6 year.
7 (7) The board shall provide each student written notice of
8 whether or not the student is eligible for the award of 1 or more
9 Michigan merit award scholarships described in this section. If
10 the student is eligible, the written notice shall also contain
11 the Michigan merit award scholarship amount for which the student
12 is eligible, how the student applies for payment of Michigan
13 merit award scholarship, and any other information the board
14 considers necessary regarding qualification requirements or
15 conditions relating to the use of the Michigan merit award
16 scholarship.
17 (8) It is the intent of the legislature that the level of
18 student performance required to achieve qualifying results in a
19 subject area of an assessment test remains approximately the
20 same, and that the board not reduce the required level of student
21 performance as a means of increasing the number of Michigan merit
22 award scholarships awarded.
23 (9) If a student who has previously received a $1,000.00
24 Michigan merit award scholarship as a student enrolled in an
25 approved postsecondary educational institution outside of this
26 state other than a service academy enrolls in an approved
27 postsecondary educational institution in this state and meets the
1 requirements of subsection (4), and subject to adjustment under
2 subsection (5), the student is eligible for the award of an
3 additional $1,500.00 Michigan merit award scholarship.
4 (10) A pupil who does not initially receive qualifying
5 results shall be extended an opportunity to achieve the requisite
6 qualifying results by taking a subsequent assessment test.
7 (11) A nonpublic school student or home school student may
8 take, and the board shall administer if requested, an assessment
9 test at a site designated by the board.
10 (12) As used in this section, "social studies" means that
11 term as defined in section 1279 of the revised school code, 1976
12 PA 451, MCL 380.1279.