HF 626

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; establishing the academic competitiveness
highlighting individual excellence and valuing education scholarship program;
proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 136A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

[136A.127] ACADEMIC COMPETITIVENESS HIGHLIGHTING
INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE AND VALUING EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP
PROGRAM.

Subdivision 1.

Establishment.

The academic competitiveness highlighting
individual excellence and valuing education (ACHIEVE) scholarship program is
established.

Subd. 2.

Purpose.

The purpose of ACHIEVE scholarships is to reward Minnesota
students for taking rigorous courses in high school.

Subd. 3.

Program goal.

The goal of the program is to encourage more low- and
moderate-income Minnesota students to take rigorous college-level academic courses in
high school and provide them with resources to help pay for postsecondary education.
Students who take these courses are more likely to attend and graduate from postsecondary
institutions.

Subd. 4.

Definition; qualifying course.

For the purposes of this section, a
"qualifying course" means a course that is equivalent to at least one course credit in high
school, as defined in section 120B.024, and that is one of the following:

(1) advanced placement courses or international baccalaureate courses under section
120B.13;

(2) for students who took an advanced placement or international baccalaureate
examination but not a high school course, the number of courses equivalent to credits
earned by taking advanced placement or international baccalaureate examinations under
section 120B.13, subdivision 3a;

(3) postsecondary enrollment options courses and programs under section 124D.09;

(4) concurrent enrollment courses under section 124D.09, subdivision 10;

(5) college in the schools courses under section 124D.09, subdivision 10;

(6) the number of courses equivalent to credits earned via the college-level
examination program under section 120B.131; or

(7) the number of courses equivalent to credits earned via work-based learning
programs under section 124D.4531, 124D.46, 124D.47, or 124D.49.

The courses count toward the scholarship whether or not the postsecondary
institution grants postsecondary credit for them.

Subd. 5.

Documentation of qualifying courses.

The student shall request a
transcript from the high school. The high school shall provide a transcript to the Office
of Higher Education documenting the qualifying courses the student took. High schools
shall certify on the transcript which courses on the transcript are qualifying courses and
provide a total number of qualifying courses for each student.

Subd. 6.

Review panel.

The director of the office shall appoint a review panel to
monitor the implementation of ACHIEVE scholarships. The review panel may assist the
director in examining appeals of whether high school courses qualify for the scholarships.
The review panel shall include representatives of public and private high schools and
postsecondary institutions. This subdivision expires June 30, 2008.

Subd. 7.

Student eligibility.

To be eligible to receive a scholarship under this
section, in addition to the requirements listed under section 136A.121, a student must:

(1) take qualifying courses or earn credits equivalent to courses in grades 9 through
12 in a Minnesota high school, or be home-schooled pursuant to section 120A.22, and
graduate from high school;

(2) have a family adjusted gross income in the last complete calendar year prior to
the academic year of postsecondary attendance of less than $100,000;

(3) be a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen as defined in section 484 of the
Higher Education Act, United States Code, title 20, sections 1091 et seq., as amended, and
Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, section 668.33; and

(4) be a Minnesota resident as defined in section 136A.101, subdivision 8.

Subd. 8.

Administration.

ACHIEVE scholarships shall be administered by the
Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Subd. 9.

Documentation of qualifying family income.

The parents of the students
must document a qualifying family income by declaration on the application stating that
they meet the income requirement. The Office of Higher Education or the postsecondary
institution may request copies of federal individual income tax returns as documentation.

Subd. 10.

Scholarships awards.

Minnesota ACHIEVE scholarships shall consist of
$314 per qualifying course taken while the student attended a Minnesota high school. The
scholarships may be used to pay for qualifying expenses at eligible institutions.

Subd. 11.

Qualifying expenses.

Qualifying expenses are components included
under the cost of attendance used for federal student financial aid programs as defined
in section 472 of the Higher Education Act, United States Code, title 20, sections 1091
et seq., as amended.

Subd. 12.

Eligible institutions.

Eligible institutions are MnSCU institutions,
University of Minnesota campuses, Minnesota not-for-profit institutions, and Minnesota
degree-granting for-profit institutions. Private institutions must either be accredited
or registered or licensed with the Office of Higher Education and participating in the
Minnesota state grant program.

Subd. 13.

Availability of scholarship funds.

Each scholarship is available for
up to four academic years immediately following high school graduation. After that
date, the scholarship is no longer available to the student. The office must certify to the
commissioner of finance by October 1 of each year the amounts to be canceled from
scholarship eligibility that has expired.

Subd. 14.

Disbursement of scholarships.

The office shall provide payment to the
postsecondary institution on behalf of the student.

Subd. 15.

Authority to adopt rules.

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education
may adopt rules to administer the program.