SENATE BILL No. 1271

 

 

April 21, 2010, Introduced by Senator THOMAS and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 2006 PA 479, entitled

 

"Michigan promise grant act,"

 

by amending sections 2 and 8 (MCL 390.1622 and 390.1628), section 2

 

as amended by 2008 PA 517 and section 8 as amended by 2007 PA 42.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Academic year" means the period from September 1 of a

 

calendar year to August 31 of the next calendar year.

 

     (b) "Approved postsecondary educational institution" means any

 

of the following:

 

     (i) A public or private college or university, junior college,

 

or community college that grants degrees or certificates and is

 

located in this state.

 

     (ii) A postsecondary educational institution, other than an


 

educational institution described in subparagraph (i), that is

 

located in this state, grants degrees, certificates, or other

 

recognized credentials, and is designated by the department as an

 

approved postsecondary educational institution.

 

     (iii) A service academy.

 

     (c) "Clock hour" means a time period consisting of any of the

 

following:

 

     (i) Fifty to 60 minutes of class, lecture, or recitation in a

 

60-minute period.

 

     (ii) Fifty to 60 minutes of faculty-supervised laboratory work,

 

shop training, or internship in a 60-minute period.

 

     (iii) Sixty minutes of preparation in a correspondence course.

 

     (d) "Cumulative grade point average" means the weighted mean

 

value of the courses considered by an approved postsecondary

 

educational institution in determining whether to award a student

 

an associate's degree or a 2-year certificate of completion in a

 

vocational training program, whether the student has completed a

 

comparable vocational education program, or whether the student has

 

completed 50% or more of the academic requirements for the award of

 

a bachelor's degree, including any courses completed at another

 

approved postsecondary educational institution if the student

 

transfers the credits for those courses to the approved

 

postsecondary educational institution making that determination.

 

     (e) "Department" means the department of treasury.

 

     (f) "Fiscal year" means a fiscal year of this state. A fiscal

 

year begins on October July 1 of a calendar year and ends on

 

September June 30 of the next calendar year.


 

     (g) "High school graduate" means an individual who has

 

received a high school diploma from a high school or passed the

 

general educational development (GED) diploma test or any other

 

high school graduate equivalency examination approved by the state

 

board of education.

 

     (h) "Michigan promise grant" means a grant awarded by the

 

department under this act.

 

     (i) "Qualifying score" means a score in a reading, writing,

 

mathematics, science, or social studies component of a state

 

assessment test that has been determined by the superintendent of

 

public instruction to indicate readiness to enroll in a course in

 

that subject area in an approved postsecondary educational

 

institution.

 

     (j) "Service academy" means the United States military

 

academy, United States naval academy, United States air force

 

academy, United States coast guard academy, or United States

 

merchant marine academy.

 

     (k) "State assessment test" means any of the following:

 

     (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii), the complete Michigan merit

 

examination described in section 1279g of the revised school code,

 

1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1279g, and section 104b of the state school

 

aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1704b.

 

     (ii) For a student who has previously taken the complete

 

Michigan merit examination, the college examination component of

 

the Michigan merit examination, as described in section 1279g(2)(a)

 

of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1279g, and section

 

104b(2)(a) of the state school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL


 

388.1704b.

 

     (iii) Any other test administered by the department of education

 

to students in grades 11 and 12 to assure state compliance with the

 

federal no child left behind act of 2001, Public Law 107-110.

 

     (l) "Trust fund" means the Michigan merit award trust fund

 

established in section 9 of the Michigan trust fund act, 2000 PA

 

489, MCL 12.259.

 

     Sec. 8. (1) The department shall disburse Michigan promise

 

grant money to an approved postsecondary institution on the

 

student's behalf in the following state fiscal years, according to

 

a payment procedure established by the department:

 

     (a) For a Michigan promise grant under section 5 or a Michigan

 

promise grant installment under section 6(2)(c), in the state

 

fiscal year that begins on the first October July 1 following the

 

end of the academic year in which the student is eligible for that

 

grant or installment.

 

     (b) For a Michigan promise grant installment under section

 

6(2)(a) or (b) or a Michigan promise grant under section 6(3), in

 

the state fiscal year that begins on October July 1 in the academic

 

year in which the student is eligible for that installment or

 

grant.

 

     (2) An approved postsecondary educational institution shall

 

apply money received under subsection (1) on a student's behalf to

 

the student's outstanding indebtedness, if any, and pay the

 

remaining balance as follows:

 

     (a) Unless subdivision (b) applies, to the student.

 

     (b) If the money received by the institution under this


 

subsection is a grant installment under section 6(2)(a) or (b) and

 

the student elects to leave an approved postsecondary educational

 

institution without completing the classes in which he or she

 

enrolled, to the department. The student has no further right to

 

any money returned to the department under this subdivision.

 

     (3) Subsection (2) shall not be considered as creating an

 

obligation on the part of an approved postsecondary educational

 

institution to loan or advance money to a student for the payment

 

of tuition, fees, or other costs or expenses incurred by the

 

student at that institution.

 

     (4) The department may promulgate rules to implement and

 

administer this act, including, but not limited to, 1 or more of

 

the following:

 

     (a) Rules establishing the department's administrative

 

procedures for the Michigan promise grant program.

 

     (b) Rules governing the qualification requirements for or the

 

award of Michigan promise grants under this act.

 

     (c) Rules establishing an appeals process from a determination

 

of ineligibility for a Michigan promise grant.

 

     (d) Rules establishing what information or reports a student

 

or an approved postsecondary educational institution must provide

 

to establish eligibility and when that information or those reports

 

must be provided.

 

     (e) Rules prescribing the reports to be made by a student

 

awarded a Michigan promise grant and by an approved postsecondary

 

educational institution to which a Michigan promise grant is paid.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect


 

unless Senate Bill No. 1281                                  

 

          of the 95th Legislature is enacted into law.