H 3775 General Bill, By Bales, Cato, Cobb-Hunter, Coleman, Davenport, Keegan, 
Kelley, Klauber, Lourie, McCraw, McLeod, Ott, Phillips, Rhoad, Sinclair, 
F.N. Smith, J.E. Smith, Snow, Taylor, Witherspoon and A. Young
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-149-50, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
 1976, RELATING TO ELIGIBILITY FOR A LIFE SCHOLARSHIP, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A
 STUDENT MAY HAVE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR PREPARATORY SCHOOL OR COMPLETED
 A HOME SCHOOL PROGRAM AT ANY TIME RATHER THAN AFTER A SPECIFIED DATE IF HE IS
 TO ATTEND OR ATTENDS A TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

   03/21/01  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-33
   03/21/01  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-34

TO AMEND SECTION 59-149-50, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ELIGIBILITY FOR A LIFE SCHOLARSHIP, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A STUDENT MAY HAVE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR PREPARATORY SCHOOL OR COMPLETED A HOME SCHOOL PROGRAM AT ANY TIME RATHER THAN AFTER A SPECIFIED DATE IF HE IS TO ATTEND OR ATTENDS A TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

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

SECTION    1.    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 member of a class graduating from a high school located in this State on or after May, 1995, a home school student who has successfully completed a high school home school program in this State in the manner required by law on or after May, 1995, or a student graduating from a preparatory high school outside this State on or after May, 1995, while a dependent of a parent or guardian who is a legal resident of this State and has custody of the dependent, and these students must also meet the requirements of subsection (B). In addition, beginning with the 1998-99 school year for those students who graduate from high school on or after May, 1998, 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 1000 or better on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or have the equivalent ACT score, 1050 or better beginning with school year 2000-2001, and 1100 or better beginning with school year 2002-2003; 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 requirement does not apply; and provided, further, that the student may have graduated from high school or preparatory school, or completed a home school program under the conditions specified in this section at any time if he is to attend or attends a technical college. If a student chooses to attend such a public or independent institution of this State and does not make the required SAT 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)."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.