HOUSE BILL No. 6671

 

 

November 19, 2008, Introduced by Rep. Alma Smith and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 2006 PA 479, entitled

 

"Michigan promise grant act,"

 

by amending sections 4, 5, and 6 (MCL 390.1624, 390.1625, and

 

390.1626) and by adding section 7a; and to repeal acts and parts of

 

acts.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 4. (1) The Michigan promise grant program is established.

 

The department shall provide Michigan promise grants under this act

 

from the trust fund and administer the Michigan promise grant

 

program.

 

     (2) Subject to subsection (3) and section 7a, each student who

 

becomes a high school graduate in or after the 2006-2007 academic

 

year and before the 2007-2008 academic year is eligible for the

 

award of a Michigan promise grant in an amount determined under


 

section 5 or 6.

 

     (3) In addition to the requirements set forth in subsection

 

(2), the department must find that a student meets all of the

 

following eligibility requirements to award the student a Michigan

 

promise grant under this act:

 

     (a) The department has received a completed application for

 

payment as described in section 7(1), including the certification

 

described in section 7(2) or (3), if applicable, on or before the

 

deadline established by the department.

 

     (b) The student is a high school graduate and a resident of

 

this state.

 

     (c) The student meets 1 of the following:

 

     (i) For a grant under section 5, the student was awarded an

 

associate's degree or a 2-year certificate of completion in a

 

vocational training program at an approved postsecondary

 

educational institution, completed a comparable vocational

 

education program approved by the department at an approved

 

postsecondary educational institution, or completed 50% or more of

 

the academic requirements for the award of a bachelor's degree at

 

an approved postsecondary educational institution within 4 years of

 

his or her initial enrollment in an approved postsecondary

 

educational institution and meets 1 of the following:

 

     (A) Has a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5.

 

     (B) If the student completed a vocational education program

 

that does not record grades or grade point averages for its

 

students, has successfully completed that program.

 

     (ii) For a grant under section 6, the student received a


 

qualifying score in each of the reading, writing, mathematics, and

 

science components of the state assessment test, and for each

 

student who becomes a high school graduate in or after the 2010-

 

2011 academic year, successfully completes at least 3 credits in

 

mathematics as described in section 1278a(1)(a)(i) of the revised

 

school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1278a, and 3 credits in science

 

as described in section 1278b(1)(b) of the revised school code,

 

1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1278b.

 

     (d) The student took the state assessment test.

 

     (e) The student enrolled in an approved postsecondary

 

educational institution within 2 years after he or she became a

 

high school graduate. The department shall extend the 2-year period

 

if the student becomes a member of the United States armed forces

 

or peace corps during the 2-year period.

 

     (f) The student did not previously receive a grant under this

 

act or scholarship money under the Michigan merit award scholarship

 

act, 1999 PA 94, MCL 390.1451 to 390.1459.

 

     (g) The student meets any additional eligibility requirements

 

established by the department.

 

     Sec. 5. (1) Subject to proration under subsection (2) and

 

adjustment under subsection (3), a student who meets the

 

eligibility requirement of section 4(3)(c)(i) and the other

 

applicable eligibility requirements under section 4 shall receive a

 

Michigan promise grant in the amount of $4,000.00.

 

     (2) If a student satisfies the eligibility requirement

 

contained in section 4(3)(c) by completing a vocational training

 

program that as determined by the department generally requires


 

less than 2 years or fewer than 1,800 clock hours, as applicable,

 

to complete, the student shall receive a prorated amount of the

 

amount described in subsection (1) that reflects the number of

 

clock hours necessary to complete the program, as determined by the

 

department.

 

     (3) If in any fiscal year the department determines that the

 

amount appropriated by the legislature for the payment of Michigan

 

promise grants is not sufficient to pay each eligible student the

 

Michigan promise grant amount required under this section for an

 

academic year, the department shall adjust the amount of Michigan

 

promise grants paid under this section by prorating the amounts as

 

necessary to reflect the available resources and amounts

 

appropriated in that fiscal year. The department shall notify the

 

governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the

 

majority leader of the senate in writing at least 30 days before

 

implementing a proration under this subsection.

 

     (4) Michigan promise grants awarded under this section are

 

subject to the restrictions described in section 7a.

 

     Sec. 6. (1) Subject to proration under subsection (3) and

 

adjustment under subsection (4), a student who meets the

 

eligibility requirement of section 4(3)(c)(ii) and the other

 

applicable eligibility requirements under section 4 and this

 

section shall receive a Michigan promise grant in the amount of

 

$4,000.00.

 

     (2) Except for a student who is enrolled in a program

 

described in subsection (3), the department shall pay a grant under

 

subsection (1) as follows:


 

     (a) One thousand dollars paid in the student's first academic

 

year of enrollment at an approved postsecondary educational

 

institution.

 

     (b) One thousand dollars paid in the student's second academic

 

year of enrollment at an approved postsecondary educational

 

institution.

 

     (c) The remainder of the amount of the grant after completion

 

of 2 academic years of enrollment at an approved postsecondary

 

educational institution. However, the student is not eligible for

 

this installment, and forfeits any remaining grant amount to which

 

he or she is otherwise entitled under this act, unless the student

 

earned an associate's degree, earned a 2-year certificate of

 

completion in a vocational education program, completed a

 

comparable vocational training program approved by the department,

 

or completed 50% or more of the academic requirements for the award

 

of a bachelor's degree at an approved postsecondary educational

 

institution within 4 years of his or her initial enrollment in that

 

institution and meets 1 of the following:

 

     (i) Has a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5.

 

     (ii) If the student completed a vocational education program

 

that does not record grades or grade point averages for its

 

students, has successfully completed that program.

 

     (3) Subject to adjustment under subsection (4), a student who

 

meets the eligibility requirement of section 4(3)(c)(ii) and the

 

other applicable eligibility requirements under section 4 and this

 

section, and who is enrolled in a vocational training program that

 

as determined by the department generally requires less than 2


 

years or fewer than 1,800 clock hours, as applicable, to complete,

 

shall receive a prorated amount of the amount described in

 

subsection (1) determined by the department to reflect the number

 

of clock hours necessary to complete the program.

 

     (4) If in any fiscal year the department determines that the

 

amount appropriated by the legislature for the payment of Michigan

 

promise grants under this act is not sufficient to pay each

 

eligible student the amount required under this section for the

 

academic year, the department shall adjust the Michigan promise

 

grant amounts paid under this section by prorating the amounts as

 

necessary to reflect the available resources and amounts

 

appropriated in that fiscal year. The department shall notify the

 

governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the

 

majority leader of the senate in writing at least 30 days before

 

implementing a proration under this subsection.

 

     (5) Michigan promise grants awarded under this section are

 

subject to the restrictions described in section 7a.

 

     Sec. 7a. (1) The department shall not provide Michigan promise

 

grants under this act in the 2007-2008 academic year or any

 

subsequent academic year.

 

     (2) If a student was awarded a Michigan promise grant under

 

this act before the 2007-2008 academic year, the department shall

 

not pay the amount of the grant or any remaining unpaid

 

installments of the grant to the student after September 15, 2007.

 

     (3) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that

 

added this section, the department shall notify each new Michigan

 

promise grant recipient, each existing grant recipient who has not


 

received all of his or her grant installments, and each approved

 

postsecondary educational institution of the pending repeal of this

 

act and the timetables described in subsections (1) and (2).

 

     Enacting section 1. The Michigan promise grant act, 2006 PA

 

479, MCL 390.1621 to 390.1628, is repealed effective October 1,

 

2007.

 

     Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 6680(request no.

 

01102'07) of the 94th Legislature is enacted into law.