AB 604

Under current law, the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) administers

the Academic Excellence Higher Education Scholarship Program under which

HEAB awards scholarships to certain designated scholars who enroll full-time in a

public or private institution of higher education in this state that is participating in

the program. Currently, the scholarships may be awarded to 1) the senior with the

highest grade point average from each high school in this state enrolling at least 80

but fewer than 500 pupils; 2) the two seniors with the two highest grade point

averages from each high school in this state enrolling at least 500 but fewer than

1,000 pupils; 3) the three seniors with the three highest grade point averages from

each high school in this state enrolling at least 1,000 but fewer than 1,500 pupils; 4)

the four seniors with the four highest grade point averages from each high school in

this state enrolling at least 1,500 but fewer than 2,000 pupils; 5) the five seniors with

the five highest grade point averages from each high school in this state enrolling at

least 2,000 but fewer than 2,500 pupils; and 6) the six seniors with the six highest

grade point averages from each high school in this state enrolling 2,500 or more

pupils. In addition, those scholarships may be awarded to the senior with the highest

grade point average from the school operated by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind

and Visually Impaired and the school operated by the Wisconsin Educational

Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and not more than ten

scholarships statewide may be awarded to seniors with the highest grade point

averages from high schools enrolling fewer than 80 pupils.

Currently, if two or more seniors from a high school have the same grade point

average and are otherwise eligible for a scholarship, the applicable number of seniors

are designated as scholars according to written tie-breaking criteria as required by

HEAB by rule, and the remaining seniors with the same grade point average are

certified as alternates, who may be awarded a scholarship if a designated scholar

does not enroll in a participating institution of higher education. For a high school

that weights different courses differently to determine a pupil's grade point average,

a senior with the next highest grade point average may also be certified as a scholar

if the senior who is designated as a scholar does not enroll in a participating

institution of higher education and there is no other senior with the same grade point

average as the designated scholar.

This bill permits those seniors with the next highest grade point average, but

not less than 3.800 or the equivalent, to be certified as alternates and permits such

an alternate to receive a scholarship if a senior who is designated as a scholar or an

alternate with the same grade point average does not enroll in a participating

institution of higher education in all cases, regardless of how the high school weights

its courses. The bill also changes the date by which a school must designate a scholar

from February 15 to February 25 of a school year.