Act No. 40

Public Acts of 2021

Approved by the Governor

July 1, 2021

Filed with the Secretary of State

July 1, 2021

EFFECTIVE DATE:  July 1, 2021

state of michigan

101st Legislature

Regular session of 2021

Introduced by Reps. Anthony and VanSingel

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4055

AN ACT to amend 1964 PA 208, entitled “An act to grant scholarships to students enrolled in postsecondary education institutions; and to provide for the administration of the scholarship program,” by amending sections 3 and 4 (MCL 390.973 and 390.974), section 3 as amended by 1980 PA 500 and section 4 as amended by 1986 PA 270.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 3. (1) Subject to subsection (4), the authority shall conduct a competitive examination among eligible applicants for state competitive scholarships at times and places as determined by the authority. The authority may designate a competitive examination to be administered among eligible applicants for state competitive scholarships. The authority shall annually establish the examination scores necessary to qualify for the competitive scholarship according to the funding available to meet the award levels established pursuant to section 6.

(2) The authority may also use scholastic achievement in determining award winners and shall issue appropriate certificates of recognition to individuals awarded scholarships. The authority shall grant annual renewal of scholarships.

(3) The authority shall promulgate rules to implement this act pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, including rules for the conduct of examinations for the award of scholarships, for the procedures for the awarding of annual renewal scholarships, and for the purpose of defining postsecondary institutions under this act.

(4) Notwithstanding any provision of this act or rule to the contrary, scholastic achievement, including, but not limited to, grade point average, class rank, or other measure of academic success as determined by the authority, may be used as an alternative to a competitive examination to determine eligibility for scholarships awarded under this act for the 2021-2022 academic year.

 

Sec. 4. (1) An applicant is eligible for the award of a first-year scholarship if the authority finds that the applicant meets all of the following:

(a) Has resided continuously in this state for the preceding 12 months and is not considered a resident of any other state.

(b) Has graduated from a high school, or is a student in good standing in a high school who will graduate at the end of the academic year, or an individual who has passed a graduate equivalency examination approved by the state board of education, or, if not a high school graduate, is recommended favorably by an appropriate educational institution as defined in rules promulgated by the authority.

(c) Except for an applicant for a graduate scholarship, based on the state competitive scholarship examination, shows promise of satisfactorily completing a course of study at an approved postsecondary institution of the applicant’s choice in this state. For an applicant for a graduate scholarship, the authority shall determine the examination standards for eligibility.

(d) Has complied with this act and the rules promulgated under this act by the authority.

(e) Is not incarcerated in a corrections institution.

(2) An applicant who the authority determines is eligible for award of a scholarship under this act shall complete using the scholarship within 1 of the following time frames, as applicable:

(a) For an applicant enrolled in an eligible postsecondary institution during the 2020 spring term and the 2020-2021 academic year, 11 years after his or her eligibility is determined.

(b) For any other applicant, 10 years after his or her eligibility is determined.

Text, letter

Description automatically generatedThis act is ordered to take immediate effect.

 

Clerk of the House of Representatives

 

Secretary of the Senate

Approved___________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Governor