Education-Hathaway scholarship program.

2015
STATE OF WYOMING
15LSO-0504
ENGROSSED
3.1

HOUSE BILL

NO.

HB0192

Education-Hathaway scholarship program.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Freeman, Dayton, Harshman, Northrup, Sommers and Throne and Senator(s) Anderson, J.D. (SD02), Coe and Craft

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the Hathaway scholarship program; providing the ability to petition to increase scholarship award as specified; requiring rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section
1
.

W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1304 by creating a new subsection (j)
,
21
‑
16
‑
1
305 by creating a new subsection (f)
and 21
‑
16
‑
1308(
a)(iv),
by creating a new paragraph (v)

and
by
renumbering (v) as (vi)
are
amended to read:

21
‑
16
‑
1304
.

Hathaway opportunity, performance and honor scholarships.

(j)

A student receiving a Hathaway performance scholarship
who
maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25
for two (2) consecutive semesters
may
apply
to the department
for
receipt of the Hathaway honor scholarship for the remainder of scholarship eligibility
provided under W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1303(
d)
.

A student receiving a Hathaway opportunity scholarship who maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 for two (2) consecutive semesters may apply to the department for receipt of the Hathaway performance scholarship for the remainder of scholarship eligibility provided under W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1303(
d).

Eligibility shall be evaluated at the end of the spring academic term.
The department may delegate to any eligible institution the department
'
s authority to grant a request in accordance with this subsection
, but shall only do so in accordance with department rules and regulations establishing procedures and criteria for granting a request for
an increase
of the Hathaway scholarship under this subsection.

21
‑
16
‑
1305
.

Hathaway provisional opportunity scholarships.

(f
)

A student receiving a Hathaway provisional opportunity scholarship
who
maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 for two (2) consecutive semesters may apply to the department for receipt of the Hathaway
performance
scholarship for the remainder of scholarship eligibility
provided under W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1303(d).

Eligibility
under this subsection
shall be evaluated at the end of the spring academic term.
The department may delegate to any eligible institution the department
'
s authority to grant a request in accordance with this subsection, but shall only do so in accordance with department rules and regulations establishing procedures and criteria for granting a request for
an increase
of the Hathaway scholarship under this subsection.

21
‑
16
‑
1308
.

Administration; rules and regulations.

(a)

This article shall be administered by the department in accordance with the following:

(iv)

Each eligible institution receiving an application from a student applying for a Hathaway scholarship shall preliminarily determine the
student
'
s
eligibility
for the scholarship. For students initially applying for a scholarship, unless the student
'
s complete academic record is available, the GPA used to preliminarily determine eligibility shall be based upon the student
'
s official high school transcript after either the end of the first semester of a student
'
s senior year or the second semester of a student
'
s junior year, at the sole discretion of the eligible institution. For students graduating prior to their senior year the GPA used to preliminarily determine eligibility shall be based upon the student
'
s official high school transcript as of the end of the semester immediately prior to the last semester before the student
'
s graduation. High school GPAs for final eligibility determinations for students initially applying for a scholarship under this article shall be based upon the student
'
s complete high school academic record. Upon final determination of scholarship eligibility,
including any increase in scholarship level granted under W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1304(
j) or 21
‑
16
‑
1305(f),
each community college shall certify to the community college commission not later than thirty (30) days after the semester commences, a list of students enrolled at the institution who qualify for a scholarship under this article, including the amount of
each scholarship. The university shall certify to the department within forty
‑
five (45) days after the semester commences a like list for students enrolled at the university. The director of the community college commission shall verify within ten (10) days after receiving all lists from community colleges whether there is any duplication of students on the community college lists, shall provide the lists to the department and shall certify to the department the amount each college is to receive under this article. Students attending more than one (1) eligible institution shall enter into a consortium agreement with the multiple institutions whereby the student shall designate a home institution to be paid the entire Hathaway scholarship amount for which the student qualifies;

(v)

Upon the request of a student, t
he department shall determine
the
student
'
s eligibility to receive
an increase of
the Hathaway scholarship based on academic performance
in accordance with W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1304(
j) or 21
‑
16
‑
1305(
f
)
. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing procedures and criteria for granting a request
under this
paragraph
. The department
may delegate to any eligible institution the department
'
s authority to grant a request in accordance with this
paragraph
, but shall only do so in accordance with d
epartment rules and regulations;

(v)
(vi)

The
department shall determine and certify to the state treasurer the amount which is equal to seventy
‑
five percent (75%) of the total amount the eligible institution received during the preceding semester under this subsection. Not later than September 1 for the fall semester and not later than January 15 for the spring semester, the state treasurer shall pay from the scholarship expenditure account the amount certified by the department. The department shall review the lists provided under paragraph (
iv
) of this subsection, determine whether there is any duplication of students, and determine and certify to the state treasurer the balance of the amount due under this article to each institution for the semester. For any duplication, the department shall determine whether the student is attending more than one (1) eligible institution. If the student is attending multiple eligible institutions payment of the Hathaway scholarship for which the student qualifies shall be made
only to the institution designated as the home institution by the student. The state treasurer shall pay from the scholarship expenditure account the balance of the amount due. Payments of the balance due under this paragraph shall be made not later than seventy
‑
five (75) days after the institution
'
s semester has commenced. Payments to the university shall be made directly to the university. Payments to the community colleges shall be made directly to each college and be reported by the state treasurer to the community college commission. Should a prepayment under this paragraph exceed the amount actually due the institution for any semester, the excess amount shall be calculated by the department and deducted from the next payment made. For purposes of this subsection, payments due for summer terms shall be included within the calculations and payments for the subsequent fall semester.

Section 2.

(a)

T
his act shall apply prospectively. The academic performance of Hathaway scholarship recipients prior to the effective date of this act shall not be considered in determining eligibility to receive an increase of the
Hathaway scholarship based on academic performance in accordance with W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1304(j) or 21
‑
16
‑
1305(f), as amended by section 1 of this act. All Hathaway scholarship recipients as of the effective date of this act shall be eligible to earn an increase of the Hathaway scholarship based on academic performance in accordance with W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1304(j) or 21
‑
16
‑
1305(f), as amended by section 1 of this act.

(b)

Rules and regulations of the Wyoming department of education required under W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1308, as amended by section 1 of this act, shall be promulgated in sufficient time to enable implementation of this act by July 1, 2015.

Section 3.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2015.

(b)

Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, section 2(b) of this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become a law
as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(EN
D)

1
HB0192