April 21, 2004, Introduced by Reps. Hoogendyk, Palmer, Vander Veen, Brandenburg, Drolet, Garfield, Meyer, Sheen, Stahl, Bradstreet, Voorhees, Ruth Johnson, Nofs, Pastor, DeRoche, Kooiman, Moolenaar and Richardville and referred to the Committee on Higher Education.
A bill to establish a higher education enrollment option
grant program for certain students; to prescribe certain duties
of public schools; and to prescribe certain powers and duties of
certain postsecondary educational institutions and state
departments, officials, and agencies.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
2 "Michigan accelerated college education act".
3 Sec. 3. As used in this act:
4 (a) "Authority" means the Michigan higher education
5 assistance authority created by 1960 PA 77, MCL 390.951 to
6 390.961.
7 (b) "Community college" means a community college established
8 under the community college act of 1966, 1966 PA 331, MCL 389.1
9 to 389.195, or under part 25 of the revised school code, 1976 PA
1 451, MCL 380.1601 to 380.1607, or a federal tribally controlled
2 community college located in this state that is recognized under
3 the tribally controlled community college assistance act of 1978,
4 Public Law 95-471, and is determined by the authority to meet the
5 requirements for accreditation by a recognized regional
6 accrediting body.
7 (c) "Eligible charges" means tuition and mandatory course
8 fees, material fees, and registration fees required by an
9 eligible postsecondary institution for enrollment in an eligible
10 program. Eligible charges also include any late fees charged by
11 an eligible postsecondary institution due to the authority's
12 failure to make a required payment according to the timetable
13 prescribed under this act. Eligible charges do not include
14 transportation or parking costs or activity fees.
15 (d) "Eligible postsecondary institution" means a state
16 university or community college that chooses to comply with this
17 act.
18 (e) "Eligible program" means a program of study offered by an
19 eligible postsecondary institution leading to a bachelor degree
20 or associate degree.
21 (f) "Eligible student" means an individual who meets the
22 eligibility requirements described in section 5(1).
23 (g) "School district" means that term as defined in section 6
24 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.6, a local act
25 school district as defined in section 5 of the revised school
26 code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5, or a public school academy
27 organized under part 6a of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451,
1 MCL 380.501 to 380.507.
2 (h) "State university" means a state institution of higher
3 education described in section 4, 5, or 6 of article VIII of the
4 state constitution of 1963.
5 Sec. 5. (1) An individual who meets all of the following
6 may attend an eligible postsecondary institution without
7 completing high school:
8 (a) He or she attends, and has not graduated from, a high
9 school operated by a school district in this state at the time he
10 or she is first enrolled in an eligible postsecondary institution
11 under this act.
12 (b) He or she is at least 15 and less than 19 years of age.
13 (c) He or she has completed at least 1/2 of the credits
14 required for graduation by the high school described in
15 subdivision (a) or received an overall score in the top 20% of a
16 nationally recognized college admission examination.
17 (d) He or she is admitted to and enrolled in the eligible
18 postsecondary institution as a full-time student in an eligible
19 program.
20 (2) Upon request by an eligible student or an eligible
21 postsecondary institution, the school district in which the
22 eligible student attended high school shall provide to the
23 eligible student, the authority, and the eligible postsecondary
24 institution a letter signed by the student's high school
25 principal indicating the student's eligibility under subsection
26 (1)(a) and (c).
27 Sec. 7. (1) An eligible student shall receive a grant from
1 the authority, payable directly to the eligible postsecondary
2 institution, for the number of semesters, trimesters, or quarters
3 of full-time enrollment at that postsecondary institution
4 determined under subsection (2). The amount of a grant is an
5 amount equal to the lesser of the amount of the eligible charges
6 for the semester, trimester, or quarter in which the student is
7 enrolled, and an amount equal to 1 of the following percentages
8 of the basic foundation allowance described in section 20 of the
9 state school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1620:
10 (a) If the eligible program in which the student is enrolled
11 is conducted in semesters, 25%.
12 (b) If the eligible program in which the student is enrolled
13 is conducted in trimesters, 16.67%.
14 (c) If the eligible program in which the student is enrolled
15 is conducted in quarters, 12.5%.
16 (2) The following are the maximum number of semesters,
17 trimesters, or quarters of full-time enrollment at an eligible
18 postsecondary institution for which an eligible student may
19 receive a grant under subsection (1):
20 (a) For an eligible student who attended high school for 4 or
21 fewer semesters, 4 semesters or an equivalent number of
22 trimesters or quarters.
23 (b) For an eligible student who attended high school for 5
24 semesters, 3 semesters or an equivalent number of trimesters or
25 quarters.
26 (c) For an eligible student who attended high school for 6
27 semesters, 2 semesters or an equivalent number of trimesters or
1 quarters.
2 (d) For an eligible student who attended high school for 7
3 semesters, 1 semester or an equivalent number of trimesters or
4 quarters.
5 (e) An eligible student who graduated from or attended high
6 school for 8 or more semesters may not receive a grant under this
7 act.
8 (3) After an eligible student's first semester, trimester, or
9 quarter of enrollment in an eligible program, the authority is
10 not required to pay a grant described in subsection (1) in any
11 semester, trimester, or quarter if the student did not maintain a
12 grade point average of at least 2.0 in the preceding semester,
13 trimester, or quarter. This subsection does not reduce the total
14 number of semesters, trimesters, or quarters described in
15 subsection (1) in which the student is entitled to receive a
16 grant under this section.
17 (4) An eligible student is responsible for payment of the
18 remainder of the costs associated with his or her enrollment in
19 the eligible postsecondary institution that exceed the amount of
20 his or her grant under this section.
21 (5) This act does not restrict the ability of an eligible
22 student or any other pupil to enroll in any postsecondary
23 institution without meeting this act.
24 Sec. 9. (1) Unless otherwise agreed between an eligible
25 postsecondary institution and the authority, after the expiration
26 of the postsecondary institution's period for dropping or adding
27 courses in the eligible program in each semester, trimester, or
1 quarter for which the authority is required to make a grant
2 payment under section 7, the eligible postsecondary institution
3 shall provide written notice to the authority of the amount of
4 eligible charges for the eligible program in which the student is
5 enrolled. The authority shall make the grant payment within 30
6 days of receiving the notice.
7 (2) An eligible postsecondary institution shall not charge a
8 late fee to an eligible student or the authority for a grant paid
9 in compliance with the time period described in subsection (1)
10 even if the payment would otherwise be considered late by the
11 postsecondary institution.
12 (3) Within a reasonable time after registration, an eligible
13 postsecondary institution shall send written notice to an
14 eligible student and his or her former school district indicating
15 the eligible program in which the eligible student is enrolled.
16 The eligible postsecondary institution shall notify the eligible
17 student about tuition, fees, books, materials, and other related
18 charges, as determined by the eligible postsecondary institution,
19 in the customary manner used by the eligible postsecondary
20 institution, and shall notify the eligible student of the amount
21 of the eligible charges that it included in the notice to the
22 authority under subsection (1).
23 Sec. 11. An eligible postsecondary institution shall award
24 a high school diploma to an eligible student who is awarded an
25 associate degree or successfully completes 4 semesters, 6
26 trimesters, or 8 quarters, as applicable, of courses as a
27 full-time student at that postsecondary institution.
1 Enacting section 1. This act does not take effect unless
2 all of the following bills of the 92nd Legislature are enacted
3 into law:
4 (a) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. _____ (request
5 no. 05675'03 a).
6 (b) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. 5792 (request
7 no. 05675'03 b).