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