H 3971 Session 110 (1993-1994)
H 3971 General Bill, By Sharpe, Koon, Riser, Witherspoon and D.A. Wright
Similar(S 143)
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.
04/14/93 House Introduced and read first time HJ-16
04/14/93 House Referred to Committee on Education and Public
Works HJ-16
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 59-145-20. (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, 1994, semester or
quarter.
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