SB-1376, As Passed Senate, September 23, 2004
SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 1376
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) and to adjustment under
5 subsection (5), each student enrolled in grade 11 in or after the
6 1998-1999 school year who meets the requirements of subsection
7 (4) , and subject to
adjustment under subsection (5), and this
8 subsection is eligible for the award of a $2,500.00 Michigan
9 merit award scholarship if the student is enrolled in an approved
10 postsecondary educational institution in this state or in a
11 service academy. ,
or Subject to subsection (6) and to
1 adjustment under subsection (5), each student enrolled in grade
2 11 in or after the 1998-1999 school year, except a student
3 described in subsection (12), who meets the requirements of
4 subsection (4) and this subsection is eligible for the award of a
5 $1,000.00 Michigan merit award scholarship if the student is
6 enrolled in an approved postsecondary educational institution
7 outside this state other
than a service academy. , if the board
8 finds For eligibility under this subsection, the board
must find
9 that the student while in high school has taken the assessment
10 test in the subject areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and
11 science and meets met
1 of the following:
12 (a) Has received Received
qualifying results in each of the
13 subject areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science.
14 (b) Did not receive qualifying results in 1 or 2 of the
15 subject areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science, but
16 received an overall score in the top 25% of a nationally
17 recognized college admission examination.
18 (c) Did not receive qualifying results in 1 or 2 of the
19 subject areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science, but
20 received a qualifying score or scores as determined by the board
21 on a nationally recognized job skills assessment test designated
22 by the board.
23 (3) Subject to subsection (6) and to adjustment under
24 subsection (5), a student who was enrolled in grade 7 in or after
25 the 1999-2000 school year and who the board finds has taken the
26 assessment test in each of the subject areas while in grades 7
27 and 8 is eligible for 1 of the following additional Michigan
1 merit award scholarships:
2 (a) If the board finds that the student while in grades 7 and
3 8 received qualifying results in 2 of the subject areas of
4 reading, writing, mathematics, and science, an additional
5 Michigan merit award scholarship of $250.00.
6 (b) If the board finds that the student while in grades 7 and
7 8 received qualifying results in 3 of the subject areas of
8 reading, writing, mathematics, and science, an additional
9 Michigan merit award scholarship of $375.00.
10 (c) If the board finds that the student while in grades 7 and
11 8 received qualifying results in all of the subject areas of
12 reading, writing, mathematics, and science, an additional
13 Michigan merit award scholarship of $500.00.
14 (4) In addition to the requirements set forth in subsections
15 (2) and (3), to be eligible for the award of 1 or both Michigan
16 merit award scholarships under this section, the board must find
17 that a student satisfies all of the following:
18 (a) The student has graduated from high school or passed the
19 general educational development (GED) test or other graduate
20 equivalency examination approved by the state board.
21 (b) The student graduated from high school or passed the
22 general educational development (GED) test or other graduate
23 equivalency examination approved by the state board within 1 of
24 the following time periods:
25 (i) If the student graduated from high school or passed the
26 test or examination before March 1, 2002, within the 7-year
27 period preceding the student's application to receive his or her
1 Michigan merit award scholarship money.
2 (ii) If the student graduated on or after March 1, 2002,
3 within the 4-year period preceding the date of the student's
4 application to receive his or her Michigan merit award
5 scholarship money, or if the student becomes a member of the
6 United States armed forces or peace corps during this 4-year
7 period and serves for 4 years or less, the 4-year period is
8 extended by a period equal to the number of days the student
9 served as a member of the United States armed forces or peace
10 corps. The board may also extend the 4-year period if the board
11 determines that an extension is warranted because of an illness
12 or disability of the student or in the student's immediate family
13 or another family emergency.
14 (c) The student is enrolled in an approved postsecondary
15 educational institution. For students who qualify under
16 subsection (2)(c), the student is enrolled in a vocational or
17 technical education program at an approved postsecondary
18 educational institution.
19 (d) The student has not been convicted of a felony involving
20 an assault, physical injury, or death.
21 (e) The student satisfies any additional eligibility
22 requirements established by the board.
23 (5) In any fiscal year, the board may adjust the amount of a
24 Michigan merit award scholarship available to students eligible
25 under 1 or more of subsections (2), (3), and (9), based upon its
26 determination of available resources and amounts appropriated,
27 but the board shall not increase an amount by more than 5% in any
1 fiscal year. The board shall notify the governor, the speaker of
2 the house of representatives, and the majority leader of the
3 senate in writing at least 30 days before an adjustment under
4 this subsection.
5 (6) For assessment tests administered after January 1, 2000,
6 the board shall not use the assessment test to determine
7 eligibility for a Michigan merit award scholarship under this
8 section for a particular year unless the board has reviewed and
9 approved the assessment test before it was administered for that
10 year.
11 (7) The board shall provide each student written notice of
12 whether or not the student is eligible for the award of 1 or more
13 Michigan merit award scholarships described in this section. If
14 the student is eligible, the written notice shall also contain
15 the Michigan merit award scholarship amount for which the student
16 is eligible, how the student applies for payment of Michigan
17 merit award scholarship, and any other information the board
18 considers necessary regarding qualification requirements or
19 conditions relating to the use of the Michigan merit award
20 scholarship.
21 (8) It is the intent of the legislature that the level of
22 student performance required to achieve qualifying results in a
23 subject area of an assessment test remains approximately the
24 same, and that the board not reduce the required level of student
25 performance as a means of increasing the number of Michigan merit
26 award scholarships awarded.
27 (9) If a student who has previously received a $1,000.00
Senate Bill No. 1376 as amended September 23, 2004
1 Michigan merit award scholarship as a student enrolled in an
2 approved postsecondary educational institution outside of this
3 state other than a service academy enrolls in an approved
4 postsecondary educational institution in this state and meets the
5 requirements of subsection (4), and subject to adjustment under
6 subsection (5), the student is eligible for the award of an
7 additional $1,500.00 Michigan merit award scholarship.
8 (10) A pupil who does not initially receive qualifying
9 results shall be extended an opportunity to achieve the requisite
10 qualifying results by taking a subsequent assessment test.
11 (11) A nonpublic school student or home school student may
12 take, and the board shall administer if requested, an assessment
13 test at a site designated by the board.
14 (12) A student who graduates from high school in the
15 2004-2005 school year and enrolls in an approved postsecondary
16 educational institution outside of this state other than a
17 service academy is not eligible for the award of a $1,000.00
18 Michigan merit award scholarship under subsection (2) <<in the state fiscal year that begins October 1, 2005. This subsection does not apply to a student who graduates from high school before or after the 2004-2005 school year, and does not apply after September 30, 2006 to a student who graduates from high school in the 2004-2005 school year.>>