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