SB 840

This bill makes changes in the way the Higher Educational Aids Board awards

academic excellence higher education scholarships to students in public or tribal

high schools having between 20 and 79 students.

Under current law, HEAB administers the Academic Excellence Higher

Education Scholarship Program under which HEAB awards scholarships to certain

scholars, designated on the basis of grade point average, who enroll, on a full-time

basis, in a public or private institution of higher education in this state. Under the

program, an academic excellence higher education scholarship recipient is exempt

from up to $2,250 in tuition and fees for each academic year that the recipient is

enrolled full time, maintains at least a 3.000 grade point average, and makes

satisfactory progress toward an associate or bachelor's degree or a vocational

diploma.

Currently, those 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, 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.

This bill permits 1) a scholarship to be awarded to the senior with the highest

grade point average from each public or tribal high school in this state enrolling at

least 20 but fewer than 500 pupils; and 2) not more than ten scholarships to be

awarded statewide to seniors from public or tribal high schools enrolling fewer than

20 pupils and to seniors from private high schools enrolling fewer than 80 pupils.

Notwithstanding the February 25 deadline under current law for designating

a senior as a scholar, the bill permits a school board of a school district operating a

public high school, or a governing body of a tribal high school, with an enrollment of

at least 20 pupils but fewer than 80 pupils to designate a senior as a scholar by June

1, 2018, and provides that a scholar so designated is eligible for an academic

excellence higher education scholarship in the 2018-19 academic year.