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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, TARTAGLIONE, STOUT, FONTANA, RAFFERTY, WASHINGTON, ALLOWAY, HUGHES AND WONDERLING, APRIL 23, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO EDUCATION, APRIL 23, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Providing for academic excellence scholarships for persons |
2 | entering a college or university within this Commonwealth. |
3 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
4 | hereby enacts as follows: |
5 | Section 1. Short title. |
6 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Academic |
7 | Excellence Scholarship Program Act. |
8 | Section 2. Purpose. |
9 | The purpose of this act is to reward educational excellence |
10 | and provide an incentive to Pennsylvania students to pursue |
11 | higher education. |
12 | Section 3. Definitions. |
13 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
14 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
15 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
16 | "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance |
17 | Agency. |
18 | "Approved educational institution." A postsecondary |
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1 | educational institution located in this Commonwealth that is |
2 | authorized to provide approved courses of study and grant |
3 | degrees, and has been approved by the Pennsylvania Higher |
4 | Education Assistance Agency as an institution in which students |
5 | may enroll to participate in the Academic Excellence Scholarship |
6 | Program. |
7 | "Grant." The term includes a program grant and a scholarship |
8 | grant. |
9 | "Program." The Academic Excellence Scholarship Program |
10 | established under section 4. |
11 | "Program grant." A grant issued under section 4. |
12 | "Scholarship grant." A grant issued under section 5. |
13 | "Student." A school-age resident of this Commonwealth who |
14 | attends or is about to attend a secondary school or |
15 | postsecondary educational institution located in this |
16 | Commonwealth and whose annual family income does not exceed |
17 | $250,000. |
18 | "Work requirement." Postgraduate, full-time employment with |
19 | an employer located in this Commonwealth. The term does not |
20 | include a paid student internship, a paid fellowship, volunteer |
21 | service or employment before graduation. |
22 | Section 4. Academic Excellence Scholarship Program. |
23 | (a) Establishment of program.--The Academic Excellence |
24 | Scholarship Program is established within the agency. |
25 | (b) Issuance of program grants.-- |
26 | (1) The agency may provide program grants which may be |
27 | referred to as Academic Excellence Scholarship Program |
28 | Grants, to not more than 1,000 students. If more than 1,000 |
29 | students apply, a lottery system shall be employed. The |
30 | program grants may be issued to students only upon |
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1 | confirmation from approved educational institutions to which |
2 | the students have enrolled full time immediately following |
3 | their high school graduation. |
4 | (2) The program grants shall be for the amount set forth |
5 | in section 5(a) and shall only be used for tuition and |
6 | mandatory fees. |
7 | (3) The program grants shall be awarded solely on the |
8 | basis of merit and without regard to need. |
9 | (c) Eligibility.--To receive a program grant under this |
10 | section, a student shall meet all of the following requirements: |
11 | (1) Maintenance of Pennsylvania residency during the |
12 | term of the program grant. |
13 | (2) Graduation within the top five percent from a high |
14 | school in this Commonwealth. The student must have attended a |
15 | public or private high school within this Commonwealth during |
16 | the junior and senior years. |
17 | (3) High school grade point average of 95%. |
18 | (4) Scholastic Achievement Test score of no less than |
19 | 1400. |
20 | (5) Maintenance of a grade point average of 3.0 or |
21 | higher, on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent, beginning with |
22 | the first semester of the freshman year and through the term |
23 | of the program grant. |
24 | (6) Entrance into a written agreement with the agency |
25 | to: |
26 | (i) Satisfy all degree requirements for graduation |
27 | unless the agency determines that there are extenuating |
28 | circumstances. |
29 | (ii) Commence employment in this Commonwealth within |
30 | one year after completion of an undergraduate degree for |
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1 | a period of two years. |
2 | (iii) Reimburse the Commonwealth all amounts |
3 | received under this act and interest thereon, as |
4 | determined by the agency, if the student fails to comply |
5 | with subparagraph (i). |
6 | (iv) Reimburse the Commonwealth 50% of the amount |
7 | received under this act and interest thereon, as |
8 | determined by the agency, if the student fails to comply |
9 | with subparagraph (ii). |
10 | (d) Application.--A student must apply to the agency for a |
11 | program grant as prescribed by the agency, to include the |
12 | provision of all information and documentation required by the |
13 | agency. The application of a student under 18 years of age must |
14 | include the signature of a parent or guardian. The application |
15 | must include a verified statement of grade point average from |
16 | the appropriate educational institution. |
17 | (e) Work requirement.--The work requirement under subsection |
18 | (c)(5)(ii) shall begin after the receipt of bachelor's degree |
19 | from an approved educational institution. |
20 | (f) Termination.--If a student who has received a program |
21 | grant terminates enrollment in the approved educational |
22 | institution during the academic year or prior to completion, the |
23 | approved education institution shall notify the agency in |
24 | writing and shall return all unused portions of the program |
25 | grant. Returned amounts shall be used to fund other program |
26 | grants under this act. |
27 | (g) Transfer.--A program grant may only be transferrable to |
28 | another educational institution if approved by the agency. |
29 | (h) Limitation.--A program grant shall be paid from funds |
30 | appropriated for that purpose. First priority for awarding |
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1 | program grants shall be given to renewal applicants. Thereafter, |
2 | the program grants shall be awarded on a first-come-first-served |
3 | basis. |
4 | Section 5. Academic Excellence Scholarships. |
5 | (a) Amount of scholarship grants.--In addition to the |
6 | program grants issued under section 4, the agency shall issue |
7 | grants under this program, which grants may be referred to as |
8 | Academic Excellence Scholarships in the amount of $5,000 per |
9 | academic year, to a student enrolled full time in an approved |
10 | educational institution pursuing a bachelor's degree. The |
11 | student shall take at least 12 semester hours or their |
12 | equivalent. |
13 | (b) Term of grant.--The scholarship grant shall be for a |
14 | maximum of four consecutive academic years. |
15 | (c) Exception.--If the student fails to meet the GPA |
16 | requirements during a semester and is denied scholarship grant |
17 | money, the student may reapply the following year for a second |
18 | chance program grant and shall continue at the student's expense |
19 | for the next year. If the student earns 3.0 at the end of that |
20 | year, the student may reapply for the remaining years. If the |
21 | student does not obtain a GPA of 3.0 or higher within the year |
22 | following dismissal from the program, the student may not |
23 | reapply. |
24 | Section 6. Administration. |
25 | (a) Verification.--The agency shall monitor and verify a |
26 | student's fulfillment of all the work requirements under this |
27 | act. |
28 | (b) Enforcement.--The agency shall enforce repayment of all |
29 | grants for a student who does not comply with the provisions of |
30 | this act, to include use of all lawful collection procedures and |
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1 | the use of private collection agencies. |
2 | (c) Exclusion from taxation.--No grant received by a student |
3 | shall not be considered taxable income for purposes of Article |
4 | III of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax |
5 | Reform Code of 1971. |
6 | (d) Financial assistance.--No grant received by a student |
7 | shall be considered financial assistance or appropriations to |
8 | the approved education institution. |
9 | (e) Appeals.--The provisions of this act shall be subject to |
10 | 2 Pa.C.S. Ch. 5 Subch. A (relating to practice and procedure of |
11 | Commonwealth agencies). |
12 | (f) Regulations.--The agency shall adopt regulations and |
13 | procedures necessary to carry out the purposes of this act. |
14 | Section 7. Effective date. |
15 | This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |
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