South Carolina General Assembly
111th Session, 1995-1996

Bill 696


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       696
Type of Legislation:               General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                  Senate
Introduced Date:                   19950404
Primary Sponsor:                   Education Committee SED 04
All Sponsors:                      Education Committee
Drafted Document Number:           GJK\21637SD.95
Residing Body:                     House
Current Committee:                 Education and Public Works
                                   Committee 21 HEPW
Date of Last Amendment:            19950426
Subject:                           Need-Based Grant Program



History


Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

House   19950426  Introduced, read first time,             21 HEPW
                  referred to Committee
Senate  19950426  Amended, read third time, 
                  sent to House
Senate  19950411  Read second time, notice of
                  general amendments
Senate  19950404  Introduced, read first time,
                  placed on Calendar without reference

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

AS PASSED BY THE SENATE

April 26, 1995

S. 696

Introduced by Education Committee

S. Printed 4/26/95--S.

Read the first time April 4, 1995.

A BILL

TO AMEND TITLE 59, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO EDUCATION, BY ADDING CHAPTER 142 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA NEED-BASED GRANT PROGRAM WHERE QUALIFYING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A PUBLIC OR INDEPENDENT INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA MAY RECEIVE STATE GRANTS FOR TUITION AND FEES AT THESE INSTITUTIONS, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND PROCEDURES FOR THESE NEED-BASED GRANTS.

Amend Title To Conform

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 142

South Carolina Need-Based Grant Program

Section 59-142-10. (A) The State shall fund a need-based grant for a student who enrolls as an undergraduate in a public or independent institution of higher learning in the State of South Carolina who applies for the need-based grant and who meets the following qualifications:

(1) meets domicile requirements as defined in Section 59-112-20 with the additional requirement of at least two years residency in the State of South Carolina immediately preceding enrollment;

(2) graduated in the upper fifty percent of his high school class and possesses a high school diploma or ranks in the upper fifty percent of the total number of his classmates after one year in the public or independent institution of higher learning;

(3) is accepted by and enrolled or registered in a South Carolina public or independent institution of higher learning as a full-time student;

(4) is of good moral character and has never been convicted of a felony; and

(5) is found to be in financial need according to federal Title IV regulations.

(B) To maintain continued state need-based grants, once enrolled a student shall:

(1) make steady academic progress toward a degree;

(2) rank in the upper fifty percent of the total number of his classmates in the public or independent institution of higher learning;

(3) have no criminal record;

(4) be eligible for the need-based grants for a maximum of four academic years of either two semesters or three quarters.

Section 59-142-20. Consistent with this section, the Commission on Higher Education shall promulgate regulations necessary to administer the Need-Based Grants Program in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act.

Pursuant to Section 59-103-165, the commission shall incorporate information pertaining to the Need-Based Grant Program in the information packets concerning post-secondary education for eighth grade students and their parents or guardians.

Section 59-142-30. A student enrolled in a public institution may not receive a grant pursuant to this chapter in an amount greater than tuition and fees charged by the institution. No student attending an approved independent institution may receive a grant pursuant to this chapter in an amount greater than the average tuition and fees of all public four-year colleges or universities in South Carolina. An adjustment must be made in the tuition and fees grant of any student awarded a grant or scholarship from any other source if the combination of grants and awards exceeds the calculated need of the student. If the scholarship or combination of scholarships is for only a portion of tuition and fees, the student may qualify for a proportionate tuition and fees grant in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

Section 59-142-40. The provisions of this chapter apply to students entering as freshmen during the 1995-96 academic year, and the allocation of funds shall be prioritized according to need. The General Assembly annually shall appropriate to the commission funds sufficient to meet initial and continuing tuition and fees payments made pursuant to this chapter. The payments must be made directly to the public and independent institution upon the receipt of written notification from the institution of the number of qualified students enrolled and the need status of each. If funding is insufficient, tuition and fees payments must be proportionately reduced or eliminated with need as the primary consideration.

Section 59-142-50. For the purposes of this chapter, an eligible independent institution of higher learning means any independent eleemosynary junior or senior college in South Carolina whose major campus and headquarters are located within South Carolina and which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Excluded are institutions whose sole purpose is religious or theological training and for-profit proprietary institutions. Funds allocated to the independent institutions shall be proportionate to the full-time equivalent enrollment of students in approved independent and public institutions, not to exceed twenty-five percent of the total amount of the program.

Section 59-142-60. It shall be unlawful for any person to obtain, attempt to obtain, expend, or attempt to expend any need-based grant provided by this chapter for any purpose other than in payment of or reimbursement for the tuition and fees cost to the student to whom such scholarship has been awarded at the institution the student is authorized to attend under the tuition and fees grant."

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

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