Senators MASSEY and SHEHEEN proposed the following amendment (419R104.SP.ASM):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, PART IV, Scholarships and Tuition Assistance, page 45, by striking lines 21-42, and page 46, by striking line 1 and inserting:

/ "Section 59-150-365.(A)(1) A student is eligible to receive an additional South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship (SCWINS) if the student is attending a two-year public technical college and:

( a) is majoring in a critical workforce area program as defined and recommended by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE) and ratified by the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Workforce Development, and is receiving a Lottery Tuition Assistance Program Scholarship (LTAP) for the current school year; or

( b) meets the income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-priced meals as established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and is receiving an LTAP scholarship for the current year regardless of the student's major.

(2) Subject to the funds appropriated, the SCWINS scholarship is equal to the cost of tuition and mandatory fees after applying all other scholarships or grants, not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars each year for no more than three years of instruction, including the student's freshman year, if the student is enrolled in an associate degree program, or no more than two years of instruction, including the student's freshman year, if enrolled in a diploma or certificate program.

( 3)During a student's freshman year, the student must be /

Amend the bill further, as and if amended, page 46, by striking lines 16-19 and inserting:

/ (4)(a) For students participating in the scholarship program pursuant to item (1)(b), as a condition of participation in the scholarship program, a student must:

(i) receive career counseling from the institution in which he will enroll for the purpose of discussing the student's interests, career goals, regional and statewide career opportunities, and required courses necessary to pursue employment in the student's chosen field; and

(ii)meet with a guidance counselor from the institution p rior to registering for classes each semester to review and receive guidance on the student's progress, career goals, and the class selection recommended to meet these goals.

(b) The institution shall verify participation required pursuant to this subsection to the SBTCE prior to any award. /

Amend the bill further, as and if amended, page 47, lines 16-18, by striking and inserting the following:

/(J)The SBTCE shall develop, through a nonprofit organization, a privately funded intense mentoring and career guidance program for students qualifying for the scholarship program under subsection (A)(1)(b). The program must, to the best of its ability, match an individual student's selection of major with an appropriate mentor. In order to receive an SCWINS scholarship, the student must participate in the mentoring program. The role of the mentor is to eliminate barriers associated with college access by serving as an encourager and a knowledgeable advisor about the chosen career field. The SBTCE shall annually report to the General Assembly all relevant data concerning the mentoring program, including, but not limited to, the number of mentors recruited and students participating in the program.

(K) The SBTCE shall maintain data about student utilization of the scholarship, including, but not limited to, the number of students who continue to use the scholarship after the first semester, who continue to use the scholarship after the first year, who complete their course of study while utilizing the scholarship, and, to the extent possible, the number of students who are employed following their degree program. The SBTCE shall annually provide this information to the General Assembly."

B.This SECTION takes effect on July 1, 2020 and first applies to the 2020-2021 school year. Section 59-150-365(A)(1)(b) and any references to students who are eligible under this provision are repealed on December 31, 2026 unless reauthorized by the General Assembly. /