Idaho H 505: EDUCATION – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the postsecondary credit scholarship.

Bill Text

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
Sixty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2022
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. 505
BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
AN ACT1
RELATING TO EDUCATION; AMENDING SECTION 33-4605, IDAHO CODE, TO REVISE PRO-2
VISIONS REGARDING THE POSTSECONDARY CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP AND TO MAKE A3
TECHNICAL CORRECTION; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EF-4
FECTIVE DATE.5
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:6
SECTION 1. That Section 33-4605, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby7
amended to read as follows:8
33-4605. POSTSECONDARY CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP. (1) Subject to the provi-9
sions of subsections (2), (3) and (4) of this section, beginning with the10
spring 2016 graduating class:11
(a) Any student who has earned at least ten (10) postsecondary semester12
credits upon graduation from an accredited high school in Idaho, or its13
equivalent, shall be entitled to a postsecondary credit scholarship in14
the an amount of up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) that shall be used15
for tuition and fees at any eligible institution.16
(b) Any student who has earned at least twenty (20) postsecondary17
semester credits upon graduation from an accredited high school in18
Idaho, or its equivalent, shall be entitled to a postsecondary credit19
scholarship in the an amount of up to four thousand dollars ($4,000)20
that shall be used for tuition and fees at any eligible institution.21
(c) Any student who has earned an associate degree from an accredited22
institution upon graduation from an accredited high school in Idaho, or23
its equivalent, shall be entitled to a postsecondary credit scholarship24
in the amount of eight thousand dollars ($8,000) that shall be used for25
tuition and fees at any eligible institution.26
(2) For subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section, the award amount27
shall be limited by the number of credits accepted by the eligible institu-28
tion where the scholarship is to be applied. For subsection (1)(a) through29
(c) of this section, the awards shall be annual awards and one-quarter (1/4)30
of the scholarship amount the student is entitled to shall be distributed31
in each semester of full-time attendance until the total scholarship is ex-32
pended or expires.33
(3) In order to be eligible for a full postsecondary credit scholarship34
set forth in subsection (1) of this section:35
(a) The student must be awarded a postsecondary merit-based matching36
scholarship in an amount at least equal to the postsecondary credit37
scholarship amount awarded in the same school year, provided that the38
matching funds for each scholarship must come from a business or indus-39
try, or entities representing business or industry, and may not be from40
appropriated or nonappropriated funds of the postsecondary institution41
or from a foundation affiliated with the postsecondary institution,42

2
unless the funds were donated to the postsecondary institution specifi-1
cally as a match for the postsecondary credit scholarship program;2
(b) The student must have graduated from an accredited high school in3
Idaho, or its equivalent; and4
(c) Except for the first semester in which the postsecondary credit5
scholarship amount is distributed, in order to receive the scholarship6
distribution in a given semester, the student must have successfully7
passed earned at least twelve (12) credits during the immediately pre-8
ceding semester in which the scholarship was distributed.9
(4) Eligible students will be awarded the postsecondary credit schol-10
arship based on grade point average rank subject to annual legislative ap-11
propriation.12
(5) A student shall use the postsecondary credit scholarship within13
four (4) years of his or her high school graduation date, at which time the14
scholarship shall expire and may no longer be used.15
(6) A student is entitled to only one (1) of the postsecondary credit16
scholarships amounts set forth in subsection (1) of this section.17
(7) If a student has been awarded scholarships that pay for one hun-18
dred percent (100%) of the cost of tuition and fees, then part or all of the19
remaining postsecondary credit scholarship moneys may be used for room and20
board at the discretion of the eligible institution where the student will21
attend.22
(8) This section shall be funded from the advanced opportunities23
program within the educational support program. The state department of24
education shall pass through to the office of the state board of education25
the necessary amount for distribution not to exceed one million dollars26
($1,000,000) in fiscal year 2017, and not to exceed two million dollars27
($2,000,000) in fiscal year 2018, and every fiscal year thereafter.28
(9) No later than January 15 of each year, the state board of education29
shall report to the senate and the house of representatives education com-30
mittees the number of scholarships awarded pursuant to this section during31
the previous school year. The report shall i