January 29, 2004, Introduced by Senator SWITALSKI and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
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: (a) Has has received qualifying
8 results in each of the subject areas of reading, writing,
9 mathematics, and science, or beginning with assessment tests
10 taken by students after the 2003-2004 school year, reading,
11 writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.
12 (b) Did not
receive qualifying results in 1 or 2 of the
13 subject areas of
reading, writing, mathematics, and science, but
14 received an overall
score in the top 25% of a nationally
15 recognized college
admission examination.
16 (c) Did not
receive qualifying results in 1 or 2 of the
17 subject areas of
reading, writing, mathematics, and science, but
18 received a qualifying
score or scores as determined by the board
19 on a nationally
recognized job skills assessment test designated
20 by the board.
21 (3) Subject to subsection (6) and to adjustment under
22 subsection (5), a student who was enrolled in grade 7 in or after
23 the 1999-2000 school year and who the board finds has taken the
24 assessment test in each of the subject areas of reading, writing,
25 mathematics, science, and social studies while in grades 7 and 8
26 is eligible for 1 of
the following an additional $500.00
27 Michigan merit award scholarships: (a) If the board finds
that
1 the student while in
grades 7 and 8 received qualifying results
2 in 2 of the subject
areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and
3 science, an additional
Michigan merit award scholarship of
4 $250.00. (b) If the
board finds that the student while in grades
5 7 and 8 received
qualifying results in 3 of the subject areas of
6 reading, writing,
mathematics, and science, an additional
7 Michigan merit award scholarship of $375.00. (c) If scholarship
8 if the board finds that the student while in grades 7 and 8
9 received qualifying
results in all each of the subject areas of
10 reading, writing,
mathematics, and science, an additional
11 Michigan merit award scholarship of $500.00 or beginning with
12 assessment tests taken by students after the 2003-2004 school
13 year, received qualifying results in all of the subject areas of
14 reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.
15 (4) In addition to the requirements set forth in subsections
16 (2) and (3), to be eligible for the award of 1 or both Michigan
17 merit award scholarships under this section, the board must find
18 that a student satisfies all of the following:
19 (a) The student has graduated from high school or passed the
20 general educational development (GED) test or other graduate
21 equivalency examination approved by the state board.
22 (b) The student graduated from high school or passed the
23 general educational development (GED) test or other graduate
24 equivalency examination approved by the state board within 1 of
25 the following time periods:
26 (i) If the student graduated from high school or passed the
27 test or examination before March 1, 2002, within the 7-year
1 period preceding the student's application to receive his or her
2 Michigan merit award scholarship money.
3 (ii) If the student graduated on or after March 1, 2002,
4 within the 4-year period preceding the date of the student's
5 application to receive his or her Michigan merit award
6 scholarship money, or if the student becomes a member of the
7 United States armed forces or peace corps during this 4-year
8 period and serves for 4 years or less, the 4-year period is
9 extended by a period equal to the number of days the student
10 served as a member of the United States armed forces or peace
11 corps. The board may also extend the 4-year period if the board
12 determines that an extension is warranted because of an illness
13 or disability of the student or in the student's immediate family
14 or another family emergency.
15 (c) The student is enrolled in an approved postsecondary
16 educational institution.
For students who qualify under
17 subsection (2)(c), the
student is enrolled in a vocational or
18 technical education
program at an approved postsecondary
19 educational
institution.
20 (d) The student has not been convicted of a felony involving
21 an assault, physical injury, or death.
22 (e) The student satisfies any additional eligibility
23 requirements established by the board.
24 (5) In any fiscal year, the board may adjust the amount of a
25 Michigan merit award scholarship available to students eligible
26 under 1 or more of subsections (2), (3), and (9), based upon its
27 determination of available resources and amounts appropriated,
1 but the board shall not increase an amount by more than 5% in any
2 fiscal year. The board shall notify the governor, the speaker of
3 the house of representatives, and the majority leader of the
4 senate in writing at least 30 days before an adjustment under
5 this subsection.
6 (6) For assessment tests administered after January 1, 2000,
7 the board shall not use the assessment test to determine
8 eligibility for a Michigan merit award scholarship under this
9 section for a particular year unless the board has reviewed and
10 approved the assessment test before it was administered for that
11 year.
12 (7) The board shall provide each student written notice of
13 whether or not the student is eligible for the award of 1 or more
14 Michigan merit award scholarships described in this section. If
15 the student is eligible, the written notice shall also contain
16 the Michigan merit award scholarship amount for which the student
17 is eligible, how the student applies for payment of Michigan
18 merit award scholarship, and any other information the board
19 considers necessary regarding qualification requirements or
20 conditions relating to the use of the Michigan merit award
21 scholarship.
22 (8) It is the intent of the legislature that the level of
23 student performance required to achieve qualifying results in a
24 subject area of an assessment test remains approximately the
25 same, and that the board not reduce the required level of student
26 performance as a means of increasing the number of Michigan merit
27 award scholarships awarded.
1 (9) If a student who has previously received a $1,000.00
2 Michigan merit award scholarship as a student enrolled in an
3 approved postsecondary educational institution outside of this
4 state other than a service academy enrolls in an approved
5 postsecondary educational institution in this state and meets the
6 requirements of subsection (4), and subject to adjustment under
7 subsection (5), the student is eligible for the award of an
8 additional $1,500.00 Michigan merit award scholarship.
9 (10) A pupil who does not initially receive qualifying
10 results shall be extended an opportunity to achieve the requisite
11 qualifying results by taking a subsequent assessment test.
12 (11) A nonpublic school student or home school student may
13 take, and the board shall administer if requested, an assessment
14 test at a site designated by the board.
15 (12) As used in this section, "social studies" means that
16 term as defined in section 1279 of the revised school code, 1976
17 PA 451, MCL 380.1279.