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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 34
PRINTER'S NO. 946
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
53
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, SCAVELLO, SCARNATI, VULAKOVICH,
SCHWANK, FARNESE, BAKER, FONTANA, WARD, COSTA, HAYWOOD,
HUGHES, BROWNE AND BREWSTER, JANUARY 12, 2017
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, JUNE 13, 2017
AN ACT
Amending the act of January 25, 1966 (1965 P.L.1546, No.541),
entitled "An act providing scholarships and providing funds
to secure Federal funds for qualified students of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who need financial assistance to
attend postsecondary institutions of higher learning, making
an appropriation, and providing for the administration of
this act," further providing for eligibility for State
scholarship.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 4(a)(6) of the act of January 25, 1966
(1965 P.L.1546, No.541), referred to as the Higher Education
Scholarship Law, is amended to read:
Section 4. (a) Any student is eligible for consideration
for a State scholarship providing:
* * *
(6) The State scholarship recipient shall be free to attend
any approved institution of his choice and apply the scholarship
toward the tuition, room, board, books and fees of that
institution[.], subject to the following:
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(i) The institution is not required to accept the
scholarship recipient for enrollment, but is free to exact
compliance with its own admission requirements, standards and
policies.
(ii) If the institution is headquartered and domiciled
through incorporation or charter in this Commonwealth AND THE
INSTITUTION IS AN ELIGIBLE SCHOOL, AS DETERMINED BY THE AGENCY
THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE PROGRAM DURING THE 2016-2017 AWARD
YEAR , the scholarship recipient shall be eligible for the
scholarship award regardless of whether the program of study or
the scholarship recipient's term enrollment is 100% online or
blended with classroom credits, provided that the scholarship
recipient meets all other eligibility requirements as provided
in this act and as established by the agency.
(iii) If the institution has a physical location in this
Commonwealth but is not headquartered and domiciled through
incorporation or charter in this Commonwealth, the scholarship
recipient shall be eligible for a scholarship award provided
that the scholarship recipient's program of study is not
structured to be more than 50% online or the scholarship
recipient's online enrollment in a given term does not exceed
50% of the total credits for that term as established by the
agency, provided that the scholarship recipient is enrolled at
the institution's physical location in this Commonwealth and
provided that the scholarship recipient meets all other
eligibility requirements as provided in this act and as
established by the agency.
(IV) THE AGENCY MAY REQUIRE NECESSARY DATA REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS FROM PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS, AND THE AGENCY SHALL
REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGARDING THE IMPACT THAT ONLINE
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EDUCATION HAS ON THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM UNDER THIS ACT. THE
REPORT SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE CHAIR AND
MINORITY CHAIR OF THE APPROPRIATIONS C OMMITTEE OF THE SENATE,
THE CHAIR AND MINORITY CHAIR OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE OF
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE CHAIR AND MINORITY CHAIR OF
THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE AND THE CHAIR AND MINORITY
CHAIR OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
(V) THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MAY IMPLEMENT THE NECESSARY
CONTROLS, WITH REGARD TO SUBCLAUSES (II) AND (III), TO LIMIT THE
IMPACT OF ONLINE EDUCATION AND PROTECT THE PURCHASING POWER OF
THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM UNDER THIS ACT AND AS DEEMED NECESSARY
BY THE AGENCY.
(VI) FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS PARAGRAPH, "PURCHASING POWER"
SHALL BE A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA, AS DETERMINED BY THE AGENCY,
THAT COMPARES THE ANNUAL AMOUNT OF THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDED FOR
BY THIS ACT TO THE AVERAGE TUITION AND FEES AS CALCULATED BY THE
AGENCY.
* * *
Section 2. The amendment of section 4(a)(6) of the act shall
apply not later than the 2018-2019 award year as determined by
the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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