H 3346 Session 111 (1995-1996)
H 3346 General Bill, By Sharpe
A Bill to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Chapter
145 to Title 59 so as to enact the South Carolina Tuition Payment Plan.
01/24/95 House Introduced and read first time HJ-6
01/24/95 House Referred to Committee on Ways and Means HJ-6
A BILL
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
1976, BY ADDING CHAPTER 145 TO TITLE 59 SO AS TO
ENACT THE SOUTH CAROLINA TUITION PAYMENT PLAN.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South
Carolina:
SECTION 1. Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"CHAPTER 145
South Carolina Tuition Payment Plan
Section 59-145-10. (A) The State shall pay the tuition of a
student who enrolls as an undergraduate in a public institution of
higher learning who applies for his tuition to be paid and who
meets the following qualifications:
(1) has resided in South Carolina during the twenty-four
months preceding enrollment;
(2) has a parent or guardian who is domiciled in this State;
(3) has graduated from high school within the two years
preceding the application with a minimum cumulative grade point
average of 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 scale;
(4) successfully has completed seventeen and one-half units
of high school coursework (ninth grade or higher), which
constitutes a core curriculum and meets standards for admission to
the desired institution. The core curriculum is:
(a) English I, II, III, and IV (four units);
(b) Algebra I and II (two units);
(c) Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, or comparable
advanced Mathematics (one unit);
(d) Biology (one unit);
(e) Chemistry (one unit);
(f) Earth Science, Environmental Science, or Physics (one
unit);
(g) American History (one unit);
(h) World History, World Cultures, Western Civilization,
or World Geography (one unit);
(i) Civics and/or Economics (one unit);
(j) Fine Arts Survey (one unit, or alternate);
(k) Foreign Language (two units);
(l) Computer Science (one-half unit);
(m) Electives from the above (one unit);
(5) has a combined score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test of
at least eight hundred or a combined score on the American College
Test of at least eighteen;
(6) has no criminal record (including abuse of any controlled
substances);
(7) is found to be in financial need as determined in this
chapter.
(B) In each year a public institution of higher learning may
admit a student who qualifies for payment of his tuition as provided
in this section if the student meets at least two of the requirements
enumerated in items (3) through (5) of subsection (A) of this
section and fails to meet eligibility for the third by an amount equal
to ten percent or less, but the total number of the students who do
not meet all of the eligibility requirements of items (3) through (5)
of subsection (A) of this section may not exceed ten percent of the
total number of students admitted the previous year who received
tuition as provided in this section.
(C) To maintain continued state payment of tuition once enrolled
a student shall:
(1) make steady academic progress toward a degree, earning
not less than the minimum number of hours of credit required for
full-time standing in each academic period;
(2) maintain full-time enrollment standing for not less than
two semesters or three quarters in any academic year;
(3) rank in the upper fifty percent of the total number of his
classmates in the public institution of higher learning;
(4) have no criminal record.
Section 59-144-20. (A) The provisions of this chapter must be
administered by the Commission on Higher Education. The
commission shall promulgate regulations to implement this chapter.
(B) By regulation, the commission shall provide for:
(1) a mechanism for informing all students of the availability
of the assistance provided pursuant to this section early enough in
their schooling that a salutary motivational effect is possible;
(2) application forms, financial audit procedures, eligibility,
and other program audit procedures, and other matters related to
efficient operation.
(C) On a case-by-case basis, the commission may waive the
requirement of this chapter that a student receiving a tuition
payment have no criminal record.
Section 59-145-30. For purposes of this chapter, financial need is
determined in the same manner that financial need is determined for
purposes of Chapter 113 of this title.
Section 59-145-40. The General Assembly shall appropriate
annually to the commission funds sufficient to meet initial and
continuing tuition payments made pursuant to this chapter. The
payments must be made directly to the public institution upon the
receipt of written notice from the institution that the student is
enrolled. If funding is insufficient, tuition payments must be
proportionately reduced or eliminated as the commission considers
appropriate.
Section 59-145-50. The commission may seek, accept, and
expend funds from any source, including private contributions
available for this purpose.
Section 59-145-60. No student may receive a grant pursuant to
this chapter in an amount greater than the tuition charged by the
school. The student shall apply for all federal grants before
receiving state funds, and the amount of the state grant for tuition
must be reduced by scholarships for tuition paid to the student from
public or private sources.
Section 59-145-70. If a student who receives a tuition payment
pursuant to this chapter fails to obtain a degree within six years of
receiving the first payment or fails to maintain full-time enrollment
standing for an academic year, he must repay to the commission the
tuition payments he has received. The terms and conditions of this
repayment requirement must be prescribed by the
commission."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor
and first applies with respect to tuition due for the fall, 1995,
semester or quarter.
-----XX----- |