H 3588  General Bill, By Allison, Felder and Carter
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-149-50, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE CRITERIA FOR LIFE SCHOLARSHIPS, SO AS TO STRENGTHEN ENGLISH,
 MATHEMATICS, AND COMPUTER SCIENCE FOUNDATIONS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS SEEKING
 LIFE SCHOLARSHIPS BY REQUIRING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF CERTAIN ENGLISH AND
 MATHEMATICS OR COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSEWORK DURING THEIR SENIOR YEARS, AND TO
 EXCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE 2022-2023 SENIOR CLASS FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS.

   01/12/21  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 249)
   01/12/21  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 249)
   02/02/21  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Felder
   02/11/21  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Carter
   02/11/21  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 15)
   02/17/21  House  Requests for debate-Rep(s).  B Newton, White, W
                     Cox, Thayer, West, Weeks, Atkinson, Fry, Davis,
                     Crawford, Brawley, JL Johnson, Govan, Clyburn,
                     Hosey, Pendarvis, Alexander, Kirby, Forrest,
                     Carter, Blackwell, Robinson, Dilliard, Daning,
                     Bamberg, Hill (House Journal-page 17)
   02/18/21  House  Debate adjourned until  Tues., 2-23-21
                     (House Journal-page 77)
   02/25/21  House  Debate adjourned until  Tues., 3-2-21
                     (House Journal-page 20)
   03/11/21  House  Debate adjourned until  Thur., 4-8-21
                     (House Journal-page 19)
   04/08/21  House  Amended (House Journal-page 17)
   04/08/21  House  Read second time (House Journal-page 17)
   04/08/21  House  Roll call Yeas-67  Nays-30 (House Journal-page 23)
   04/13/21  House  Read third time and sent to Senate
                     (House Journal-page 18)
   04/14/21  Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 5)
   04/14/21  Senate Referred to Committee on Education
                     (Senate Journal-page 5)
   04/20/22  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education (Senate Journal-page 13)
   04/21/22         Scrivener's error corrected
   05/04/22  Senate Committee Amendment Adopted
   05/04/22  Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 33)
   05/04/22  Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 33)
   05/04/22  Senate Roll call Ayes-39  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 33)
   05/10/22  Senate Read third time and returned to House with amendments
   05/11/22  House  Non-concurrence in Senate amendment
                     (House Journal-page 77)
   05/11/22  House  Roll call Yeas-0  Nays-102 (House Journal-page 77)
   05/12/22  Senate Conference committee appointed  Massey, Scott,
                     Talley (Senate Journal-page 37)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ADOPTED AND AMENDED

May 4, 2022

H. 3588

S. Printed 5/4/22--S.

Read the first time April 14, 2021.

TO AMEND SECTION 59-149-50, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE CRITERIA FOR LIFE SCHOLARSHIPS, SO AS TO STRENGTHEN ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS, AND COMPUTER SCIENCE FOUNDATIONS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS SEEKING LIFE SCHOLARSHIPS BY REQUIRING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF CERTAIN ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS OR COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSEWORK DURING THEIR SENIOR YEARS, AND TO EXCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE 2022-2023 SENIOR CLASS FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS.

Amend Title To Conform

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 59-149-15(A) and (B) of the 1976 Code are amended to read:

"(A) A resident student who is at least a sophomore attending a four-year public or private institution of higher learning in this State, who is majoring in education, science, or mathematics as defined below, and who is receiving a LIFE Scholarship for the current year, shall receive an additional LIFE Scholarship stipend equal to the cost of attendance after applying all other scholarships or grants, not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars each year for no more than three additional years of instruction, including his sophomore year, if enrolled in a four-year degree program, or for not more than four additional years of instruction, including his sophomore year, if enrolled in a five-year degree program or a 3 plus 2 program. In addition, during his freshman year, the student majoring in science or mathematics must have successfully completed a total of at least fourteen credit hours of instruction in mathematics courses, or life and physical science courses, or a combination of both. A year is defined as thirty credit hours of instruction or its equivalent each year. To receive the additional LIFE Scholarship stipend each year, the student must receive the underlying LIFE Scholarship for that year and must be making acceptable progress each year toward receiving a degree in his education, science, or mathematics major. For purposes of meeting the required minimum level of instruction in mathematics and life and physical science courses during a student's freshman year, advanced placement courses in mathematics and life and physical sciences taken in high school on which the student scored high enough on the advanced placement test to receive credit at his institution and for which he received credit, count toward the fulfillment of this minimum requirement.

(B)    The Commission on Higher Education by regulation shall define what constitutes a science or mathematics major but at a minimum shall include majors in science or mathematics disciplines, computer science or informational technology, engineering, science education, math education, and health care and related disciplines including medicine and dentistry; provided, that nothing herein prevents a student from changing majors within acceptable science or mathematics disciplines. The Commission on Higher Education shall by regulation define what constitutes an education major and shall set forth eligibility criteria that the student must meet to receive a LIFE Scholarship stipend but must include a contractual requirement that the education student recipient must upon graduation work in a South Carolina public school for one year for every year the stipend is received. Additionally, the Commission on Higher Education annually shall communicate with high school guidance counselors regarding the list of qualifying majors."

SECTION    2.    Section 59-104-25(A) and (B) of the 1976 Code are amended to read:

"(A)    A resident student who is at least a sophomore attending a four-year public or private institution of higher learning in this State, who is majoring in education, science, or mathematics as defined below, and who is receiving a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship for the current year, shall receive an additional Palmetto Fellows Scholarship stipend equal to the cost of attendance after applying all other scholarships or grants, not to exceed three thousand three hundred dollars each year for no more than three additional years of instruction, including his sophomore year, if the student enrolled in a four-year degree program, or for not more than four additional years of instruction, including his sophomore year, if enrolled in a five-year degree program or a 3 plus 2 program. A year is defined as thirty credit hours of instruction or its equivalent each year. To receive the additional Palmetto Fellows Scholarship stipend each year, the student must receive the underlying Palmetto Fellows Scholarship for that year and must be making acceptable progress each year toward receiving a degree in his education, science, or mathematics major. In addition, during his freshman year, the student majoring in science or mathematics must have successfully completed a total of at least fourteen credit hours of instruction in mathematics courses, or life and physical science courses, or a combination of both. For purposes of meeting the required minimum level of instruction in mathematics and life and physical science courses during a student's freshman year, advanced placement courses in mathematics and life and physical sciences taken in high school on which the student scored high enough on the advanced placement test to receive credit at his institution and for which he received credit, count toward the fulfillment of this minimum requirement.

(B)    The Commission on Higher Education by regulation shall define what constitutes a science or mathematics major but at a minimum shall include majors in science or mathematics disciplines, computer science or informational technology, engineering, science education, math education, and health care and related disciplines including medicine and dentistry; provided, that nothing herein prevents a student from changing majors within acceptable science or mathematics disciplines. The Commission on Higher Education shall by regulation define what constitutes an education major and shall set forth eligibility criteria that the student must meet to receive a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship stipend but must include a contractual requirement that the education student recipient must upon graduation work in a South Carolina public school for one year for every year the stipend is received. Additionally, the Commission on Higher Education annually shall communicate with high school guidance counselors regarding the list of qualifying majors."

SECTION 3. Section 59-149-50(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(A)    To be eligible for a LIFE Scholarship, a student must be either a student who has graduated from a high school located in this State, a student who has completed at least three of the final four years of high school within this State, a home school student who has successfully completed a high school home school program in this State in the manner required by law, a student who has graduated from a preparatory high school outside this State, while a dependent of a parent or guardian who is a legal resident of this State and has custody of the dependent, or a student whose parent or guardian has served in or has retired from one of the United States Armed Forces within the last four years, paid income taxes in this State for a majority of the years of service, and is a resident of this State. These students also must meet the requirements of subsection (B) and be eligible for in-state tuition and fees as determined pursuant to Chapter 112, Title 59 and applicable regulations. In addition, the student must have graduated from high school with a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade average on a 4.0 scale and have scored 1100 or better on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or have the equivalent ACT score 22 on the ACT; provided that, if the student is to attend such a public or independent two-year college or university in this State, including a technical college, the SAT/ACT requirement does not apply. If a student chooses to attend such a public or independent institution of this State and does not make the required SAT/ACT score or the required high school grade point average, as applicable, the student may earn a LIFE Scholarship after his freshman year if he meets the grade point average and semester credit hour requirements of subsection (B). For the purpose of meeting the rank criteria pursuant to this section, the existing high school rank of a South Carolina resident attending an out-of-state high school may be used provided it is calculated pursuant to a state-approved, standardized grading scale at the respective out-of-state high school. If the Commission on Higher Education determines that a state-approved standardized grading scale substantially deviates from the South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale, the state-approved standardized grading scale shall not be used to meet the eligibility requirements for the LIFE Scholarship."

SECTION    4.    In the event that the SAT or ACT changes their respective scoring ranges, the Commission on Higher Education shall adjust the minimum scores required by this chapter in order to ensure equivalency.

SECTION    5.    Section 59-104-20(H) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(H) Notwithstanding another provision of law, a student who met the initial eligibility requirements to receive a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Award as a senior in high school and has met the continuing eligibility requirements shall receive the award. A student who received a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Award as a senior in high school but declined the award is eligible to reapply for the annual scholarship, providing he meets all of the initial and continuing academic eligibility requirements of the Palmetto Fellows program, if he transfers to a qualifying South Carolina institution of higher learning. The number of semesters or academic years a student attended an out-of-state institution are to be deducted from the number of semesters or academic years a student is eligible for the scholarship. All funding provided for Palmetto Fellows Scholarships regardless of its source or allocation must be used to implement the provisions of this subsection. A student who uses a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship to attend an eligible two-year institution shall receive a maximum of four continuous semesters, and may continue to use the scholarship to attend an eligible four-year institution, subject to the maximum number of semesters for which the student may be eligible for the scholarship."

SECTION    6.    This act takes effect July 1, 2023.