WEST virginia Legislature

2017 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 3078

By Delegates Rowe, Miley, Espinosa, Cooper, Baldwin, Pushkin, Wagner, Fleischauer, Rowan, Hornbuckle and Robinson

[Introduced March 14, 2017; Referred
to the Committee on Education then Finance.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §18C-1-1, §18C-1-3 and §18C-1-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new article, designated §18C-7A-1, §18C-7A-2, §18C-7A-3, §18C-7A-4, §18C-7A-5 and §18C-7A-6, all relating to creation of a merit-based scholarship program for tuition and fee payments for certain students at state community and technical colleges.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §18C-1-1, §18C-1-3 and §18C-1-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new article, designated §18C-7A-1, §18C-7A-2, §18C-7A-3, §18C-7A-4, §18C-7A-5 and §18C-7A-6, all to read as follows:

CHAPTER18C.  STUDENT LOANS; SCHOLARSHIPS AND STATE AID.

ARTICLE 1.  fINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GENERALLY.

§18C-1-1. Legislative findings; purpose; administration generally; reporting.

(a) The Legislature makes the following findings:

(1) The Legislature recognizes and celebrates the determination, work and success of Katherine Johnson, who is a native of White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County.  Katherine Johnson is an internationally acclaimed physicist and mathematician who in 1937 graduated from the college that is today West Virginia State University.  Following graduation, she became the first female African-American graduate student to attend West Virginia University and began a career of accomplishment as a lead mathematician for the national space program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  The State of West Virginia salutes Katherine Johnson for her success with the national space program and as an example of a woman, mother and African-American who excelled in her career in a time when women, mothers and African-Americans were limited in their opportunities for employment.

(2) Although enrollments in institutions of higher education in this state and throughout the nation continue to drop at a rapid pace, West Virginia has not developed sufficiently the state's human talent and resources because many able, but needy, students are not able to finance a higher education program.

(3) The costs of tuition and fees for community and technical colleges continue to climb and create a barrier to many students especially those in new college families who are in the first generation of family members to graduate from a two-year or four-year institution of higher education.

(4) The state can achieve its full economic and social potential only when the following elements are in place:

(A) Every individual has the opportunity to contribute to the full extent of his or her capability, especially students in new college families;

(B) The state assists in removing financial barriers to the individual's education goals that remain after he or she has used all resources and work opportunities available; and

(C) The state assists in changing the culture in many communities and families discouraging higher education.

(b) The ultimate state goal in providing student financial aid is to create a culture that values education in all levels of instruction, to improve the quality of the workforce and to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of West Virginia.

(c) The Vice Chancellor for Administration has a ministerial duty to administer, oversee and monitor all state and federal student financial aid programs administered at the state level in accordance with established rules under the direction of the commission and council and in consultation with the Higher Education Student Financial Aid Advisory Board.

(d) These programs include, but are not limited to, the following programs:

(1) The Guaranteed Student Loan Program, which may be administered by a private nonprofit agency;

(2) The Medical Student Loan Program;

(3) The Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholarship Program;

(4) The Engineering, Science and Technology Scholarship Program;

(5) The West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program;

(6) The Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student Grant Program;

(7) The West Virginia Providing Real Opportunities for Maximizing In-State Student Excellence (PROMISE) Scholarship Program;

(8) The Higher Education Student Assistance Loan Program established pursuant to article twenty-two-d, chapter eighteen of this code;

(9) The West Virginia College Prepaid Tuition and Savings Program established pursuant to article thirty, chapter eighteen of this code, which is administered by the State Treasurer;

(10) The state aid programs for students of optometry, pursuant to article three of this chapter;

(11) The state aid programs for students of veterinary medicine pursuant to section six-a, article eleven, chapter eighteen of this code;

(12) Any reciprocal program and contract program for student aid established pursuant to sections three and four, article four, chapter eighteen-b of this code;

(13) Any other state-level student aid programs in this code;

(14) Any federal grant or contract student assistance or support programs administered at the state level; and

(15) The Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship Program, to pay tuition and fees for qualified students attending community and technical colleges in the state.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, the Vice Chancellor for Administration shall prepare a single, comprehensive report regarding the implementation of the financial aid programs identified in subsection (d) of this section which are administered under his or her supervision. The report shall be provided to the commission and the council and shall be presented to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability no later than November 30, 2017, and annually thereafter. The report shall address all financial aid issues for which reports are required in this code, as well as any findings and recommendations.

§18C-1-3. Additional legislative findings; purpose of financial aid programs.

(a) Legislative findings:

(1) Education attainment is inextricably linked to economic development, and, in the current global economy, the state is competing not only with other states, but also with other countries;

(2) The federal government no longer funds student financial aid as generously as it has in the past. Therefore, the state must commit to increase both access and affordability to higher education opportunities for its citizens;

(3) In recent past years the state has substantially increased appropriations to both merit-based and need-based student financial aid programs;

(4) The ultimate state goal in providing student financial aid is to create a culture that values education and improves the quality of the state's workforce, thereby enhancing the quality of life for its citizens;

(5) The state can provide a successful system of student financial aid only by balancing the needs of students from all levels of financial need and academic ability;

(6) A comprehensive system of student financial aid will yield the maximum return on the state's investment by increasing the skills, qualifications and education achievement of citizens from all backgrounds; and

(7) Sources of student financial aid can be distinguished as providing either access or affordability to higher education opportunities;

(8) Access refers to a student's financial ability to pursue post-secondary education. Affordability refers a student's freedom to choose where to attend college based on available resources;

(9) West Virginia is committed to making post-secondary education both accessible and affordable for its citizens. To this end, it is essential that the state provide multiple financial aid programs which accomplish different goals;

(b) Purposes of financial aid programs:

(1) The West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program is a need-based program that provides funding primarily to traditional college-age students who do not have sufficient financial resources to attempt post-secondary education. This grant program is a vitally important source of financial assistance for needy residents of the state and should continue to receive strong financial support.

(2) The HEAPS Grant Program is a need-based program that provides funding primarily to nontraditional college students, including:

(A) Adult students who desire to pursue post-secondary education on a part-time basis and who do not qualify for other forms of financial assistance;

(B) Place-bound students, often parents employed full-time, who require evening and weekend access to college courses; and

(C) Individuals pursuing workforce training or skill development training necessary to enter the job market quickly.

(3) The Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholarship Program is a merit-based program that encourages students who have demonstrated outstanding academic abilities to pursue teaching careers. This program serves to meet West Virginia's statewide, geographic and discipline-specific needs for highly qualified teachers.

(4) The West Virginia Engineering, Science and Technology Scholarship Program is a merit-based program that encourages talented students to pursue baccalaureate degrees in engineering, science and technology-related disciplines. This program serves to increase the size and quality of the pool of individuals pursuing careers in engineering, science and technology-related fields.

(5) The PROMISE Scholarship Program is a merit-based program that enhances student achievement by encouraging high school students to work harder to attain the necessary grades and test scores to qualify for a PROMISE scholarship and provides an incentive for the most capable students to attend college in the state. PROMISE provides affordability to traditional college-age students.

(6) The Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship like the PROMISE scholarship offering supplemental funds to help pay tuition and fees at community and technical colleges in the state for up to four semesters for certain students graduating from high school in this state with a composite score of sixteen or better on an ACT or similar standardized college entrance test, and for adults age twenty-four or older who had a grade point average from a state high school of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and a composite score of 16 on an ACT or similar  standardized college entrance test, or who can present a feasible work plan with three years of experience in the state before college, and at least two years of work in the state after graduation from a two-year or one-year program at a community and technical college for which the adult student has the necessary skills to succeed or can have a plan for remedial education to obtain such skills as needed to succeed with their work plan.

(c) An appropriate blend of student financial aid programs provides the state with the necessary tools to educate its citizenry for a broad range of economic opportunities:

(1) Without proper funding for need-based programs, lower income students may not be able to realize their full potential;

(2) Adults may not obtain the training they need to compete in the current and future job market;

(3) High-achieving students may not pursue rigorous courses in high school or attend college in West Virginia, all of which contribute to devaluing post-secondary education and perpetuating the culture of educational underachievement, especially in communities and families with traditionally low college-going rates; and

(4) By assisting students interested in entering the workforce after one or two years of specialized training in the state, through tuition and fee support for community and technical college classes, the state will more rapidly provide to employers trained employees required to meet the needs of business and industry; and

(4) (5) The state must continue to strive to support equally the need-based and merit-based student financial aid programs.

§18C-1-5. Higher Education Student Financial Aid Advisory Board.

(a) The Higher Education Student Financial Aid Advisory Board is established.

(b) The purpose of the board is to provide financial aid expertise and policy guidance to the commission, the council and the Vice Chancellor for Administration on all matters related to federal, state and private student financial aid resources and programs.

(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the advisory board:

(1) Recommend methods to balance the needs of state students from all levels of financial need and academic ability;

(2) Recommend methods for achieving a comprehensive system of student financial aid to maximize the return on the state's investment in student financial aid programs by increasing the skills, qualifications and education achievement of the citizens receiving the benefits;

(3) Recommend methods to coordinate state-funded student financial aid programs so that the state achieves the appropriate blend of programs to expand the range of economic opportunities available to state citizens;

(4) Recommend ways to improve state-level administration of financial aid programs for the benefit of students and institutions;

(5) Recommend ways to improve financial aid outreach activities;

(6) Make recommendations, consistent with the nature of the PROMISE scholarship program and the Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship program as a merit-based student financial aid program programs;

(7) Study feasibility of including for-profit institutions as eligible institutions for PROMISE scholarship awards and requirements, if any, for inclusion; and

(8) Recommend rules that align with the goals, objectives and priorities set forth in section one-a, article one, chapter eighteen-b of this code and article one-d of said chapter and with other state and system public policy goals, objectives and priorities.

(d) Advisory board membership. --

(1) The advisory board shall consist of seven members selected as follows:

(A) Three Two members appointed by the commission Higher Education Policy Commission;

(B) Two members appointed by the council West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education;

(C) One member appointed by the West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities; and

(D) One member appointed by the West Virginia School Counselor Association; and

(E) One middle school or junior high school principal to be appointed by the Council for Community and Technical College Education.  The middle school or junior high school principal shall be added to the advisory board at the end of the first term of a member representing the Higher Education Policy Commission appointed under paragraph (A) in this subdivision.

(2) Members appointed by the commission and the council shall should possess a broad knowledge of state and federal higher education student financial aid programs and the challenges of students who may need financial help for a pathway to a college education based on the merit performance of students, and have experience in administering these programs, preferably at the school, campus or system level.

(3) The initial appointments of members shall be made as follows:

(A) The commission shall appoint one member to a one-year term, one member to a two-year term and one member to a three-year term;

(B) The council shall appoint one member to a one-year term and one member to a three-year term;

(C) The West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities shall appoint one member to a one-year term; and

(D) The West Virginia School Counselor Association shall appoint one member to a two-year term.

(4)(3) After the initial terms are completed, appointments shall be made as follows:

(A) Members shall be appointed for three-year terms; and

(B) Members are eligible to succeed themselves for one additional consecutive term.

(5)(4) The term of each member begins on July 1 of the year in which the appointment is made and ends on June 30 of the year in which the appointment expires.

(e) The first meeting of the advisory board shall be called by the Vice Chancellor for Administration, at which time the members shall elect a chairperson for an initial term ending on July 31, 2010. The chairperson may succeed himself or herself for an additional one-year term as chairperson. Thereafter, The term of the chairperson is for one year beginning on August 1 of the year in which elected and ending on July 31 of the following year. A member may not serve more than two consecutive terms as chairperson.

(f) In the event of a vacancy, a successor shall be appointed by the entity which appointed the vacating member for the unexpired term of the vacating member. A person appointed to fill a vacancy is eligible for reappointment for one additional consecutive term unless the time remaining in the unexpired term is less than six months in which case the person filling the vacancy is eligible for reappointment for two additional terms.

(g) Members of the advisory board serve without compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement by the commission for expenses, including travel expenses, which are actually incurred by the member in the official conduct of the business of the advisory board.

Article 7A.  Katherine Johnson Hope scholarship program.

§18C-7A-1. Title.

This article shall be known and may be cited as the Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship Act, providing funds to supplement other sources of financial aid available to pay tuition or fees for students meeting the criteria in section five of this article, to attend a West Virginia community and technical college for up to four consecutive semesters.

§18C-7A-2. Legislative findings and purpose.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that:

(1) West Virginia must have an educated workforce in order to attract and retain the high wage, high skill jobs of the twenty-first century;

(2) A large percentage of West Virginia residents who graduate from the state's colleges and universities do not work in the state following graduation;

(3) Of all the states, West Virginia consistently has the lowest percentage of adults with college degrees.  The most important factors leading to low rates of higher education attainment are known to be poverty and low parental education levels, along with low socio-economic influences in the community.  Enabling students to attend college who are in new college families, which have never had a family member graduate from a two-year or four-year institution of higher education, is vitally important to lifting the overall education level of West Virginia’s population and changing the culture against higher education which may exist in a number of communities and families;

(4) Higher levels of education attainment result in higher levels of personal income over a lifetime, which translates into an increased tax base and economic development for West Virginia and more discretionary income for its citizens;

(5) Students at all education levels should have an incentive to perform at a high academic level, including students in new college families, in all middle schools, junior high schools and high schools;

(6) There is a need to provide parents, teachers and school counselors with all tools possible to aid them in helping their children understand the importance of high academic achievement in high school and college;

(7) The merit-based Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship program is designed to:

(A) Provide an incentive for students to set higher academic standards in high school for themselves and their peers;

(B) Encourage students to increase their high school achievement levels and enroll in more rigorous courses;

(C) Encourage older students to enroll in more rigorous courses;

(D) Effect a culture change in many West Virginia communities and families toward increased educational attainment;

(E) Result in improved standard academic test scores in the state since inception of the program; and

(F) Encourage students who see no path to higher education for themselves and family members, absent a scholarship that grants merit-based student financial aid upon proven academic performance in high school or by work performance in the state after high school.

(b) Nothing in this article guarantees:

(1) A Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship award or any specific amount of a scholarship award to any student; or

(2) That the requirements necessary for a student to qualify for a scholarship will not be changed by legislation or rule before the student is eligible to receive an award.

§18C-7A-3. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article, terms have the meaning ascribed to them in section two, article one, chapter eighteen-b of this code, unless the context in which the term is used clearly requires a different meaning or a specific definition is provided in this section.

(1) "Eligible institution" means a state institution of higher education offering a community and technical college education program as defined in section two, article one, chapter eighteen-b of this code:  Provided, That any institution identified in this subdivision ceases to be an eligible institution if it loses its regional accreditation.

(2) "Tuition" or “tuition and fees” means the quarter, semester or term charges imposed by an eligible state institution of higher education and, additionally, all mandatory fees required as a condition of enrollment by all students.

(3) "Enrolled" means either currently enrolled or in the process of enrolling in an eligible institution.

§18C-7A-4. Powers and duties of the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education regarding the Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship Program.

(a) Powers of council. — In addition to the powers granted by any other provision of this code, the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, in association with the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Vice Chancellor for Administration, has the powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of this article including, but not limited to, the following express powers:

(1) To promulgate legislative rules in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to effectuate the purposes of this article;

(2) To invest any of the funds of the scholarship program established in this article with the West Virginia Investment Management Board in accordance with the provisions of article six, chapter twelve of this code. Any investments made pursuant to this article shall be made with the care, skill, prudence and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in conducting an enterprise of a like character and with like aims. Fiduciaries shall diversify plan investments to the extent permitted by law to minimize the risk of large losses, unless under the circumstances it is clearly prudent not to do so;

(3) To execute contracts and other necessary instruments;

(4) To impose reasonable requirements for residency for students applying for the scholarship. Except as provided in section four, article one of this chapter, a student shall have met the following requirements to be eligible:

(A) Completed at least one half of the credits required for high school graduation in a public or private high school in this state; or

(B) Received instruction in the home or other approved place pursuant to subsection (c), section one, article eight, chapter eighteen of this code for the two years immediately preceding application;

(C) This subsection does not establish residency requirements for matriculation or fee payment purposes at state institutions of higher education;

(5) To contract for necessary goods and services, to employ necessary personnel and to engage the services of private persons for administrative and technical assistance in carrying out the responsibilities of the scholarship program. Any services provided or secured to implement or administer the provisions of this section remain under the direction and authority of the Vice Chancellor for Administration;

(6) To solicit and accept gifts, including bequests or other testamentary gifts made by will, trust or other disposition, grants, loans and other aid from any source and to participate in any federal, state or local governmental programs in carrying out the purposes of this article;

(7) To define the terms and conditions under which scholarships are awarded with the minimum requirements set forth in section five of this article; and

(8) To establish other policies, procedures and criteria necessary to implement and administer the provisions of this article.

(b) Duties of council. — In addition to any duty required by any other provision of this code, the council has the following responsibilities:

(1) To operate the program in a fiscally responsible manner and within the limits of available funds;

(2) To operate the program as a merit-based program;

(3) To adjust academic eligibility requirements or scholarship amounts should projections indicate that available funds will not be sufficient to cover future costs; and

(4) To maintain contact with graduates who have received scholarships provided under this article and to provide a written statement of intent to recipients who are selected to receive a scholarship notifying them that acceptance of the scholarship entails a responsibility to supply the following:

(A) Information requested by the council to determine the number and percentage of recipients who shall:

(i) Continue to live in West Virginia after graduation;

(ii) Obtain employment in West Virginia after graduation; and

(iii) Enroll in post-graduate education programs;

(B) For a scholarship recipient who later enrolls in a four-year degree granting program, the name of the institution or program in which the scholar enroll; and

(C) Any other relevant information the council reasonably requests to implement the provisions of this subdivision.

§18C-7A-5.  Requirements for a Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship.

(a) A scholarship annual award pursuant to this article shall meet the following conditions:

(1) The annual award shall not exceed the actual cost of tuition and fees of the West Virginia state community or technical college in which the scholar is or is to be enrolled, with the award to be paid to that institution;

 (2) The annual award shall be used by an eligible institution to supplement, but may not supplant, a tuition and fee waiver for which the individual is eligible pursuant to section seven or seven-b, article ten, chapter eighteen-b of this code, or any other financial aid available.

(b) The total cost of all scholarships awarded by the council in any year may not exceed the funds available to the council during that fiscal year.

(c) To be eligible to receive an award of a Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship, an individual shall:

(1) Submit a scholarship award application to the council:

(A) Within one year of graduating from high school in the state or within one year of acquiring a general equivalency degree, or

(B) Within one year of discharge from military service, if the individual has entered the United States armed services within four years after graduating from high school and a score of at least sixteen on a standardized test at any time; or,

(C) For applicants who are twenty-four years of age or older, the grade or test score requirement may be waived in favor of a student work plan that includes at least three years work experience in West Virginia within the four-year period immediately preceding attendance at the community and technical college, along with at least two years of work in the state immediately after graduation. The student work plan shall set forth the skills needed to complete the student work plan, including any remedial education needed.

(2) Apply for and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid;

(3) Graduate with a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 grading scale in high school, for students who will attend college immediately after graduation;

(4) Maintain appropriate academic progress toward the completion of a degree or certificate as determined by the council if the individual has completed more than one semester or term at a community or technical college in the state, excluding credits earned in advanced placement, international baccalaureate, dual credit and comparable courses while the student is enrolled in high school;

(5) Be a United States citizen or legal immigrant to the United States;

(6) Meet additional objective standards the council considers necessary to promote academic excellence and to maintain the financial stability of the fund;

(7) For those students just finishing high school, within one year of graduation from high school, enroll in a West Virginia community or technical college program as identified in section two, article one, chapter eighteen-b of this code. Any student enrolled in an eligible program who receives a scholarship award pursuant to this article may retain and renew the scholarship to complete his or her education at that institution or any other eligible institution, including under the following circumstances:

(A) The institution at which the student is enrolled loses its status as an eligible institution pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (1), subsection (b), section three of this article; and

(B) The student meets all other renewal requirements of this code and legislative rules.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the council shall strongly encourage all prospective candidates for the scholarship to perform at least twenty hours of unpaid community service while in high school to help prepare them for success in post-secondary education. The community service may include, but is not limited to, participation with nonprofit, governmental or community-based organizations designed with any or all of the following purposes:

(1) Improving the quality of life for community residents;

(2) Meeting the needs of community residents;

(3) Fostering civic responsibility; or

(4) Encouraging entrepreneurship and responsible financial management skills.

(e) The council shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.

(1) The rules shall include at least the following provisions:

(A) The amount of a scholarship award in combination with aid from all other sources may not exceed the cost of tuition and fees at the institution the recipient is attending. This provision does not apply to members of the West Virginia National Guard, recipients of an Underwood-Smith teacher scholarship and recipients of a West Virginia engineering, science and technology scholarship: Provided, That they are not receiving assistance through the West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship program or the Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship program.

(B) Additional objective standards the council considers necessary:

(i) To promote academic excellence;

(ii) To encourage students in middle schools and junior high schools to understand the pathway which the Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship provides for them to enter community and technical college education programs;

(iii) To maintain the financial stability of the fund; and

(iv) To operate the program within the limits of available funds.

(C) Provisions for making the highest and best use of the scholarship program in conjunction with other scholarships and acts including the West Virginia College Prepaid Tuition and Savings Program Act set forth in article thirty, chapter eighteen of this code;

(D) A provision defining the relationship of scholarship awards to all other sources of student financial aid to ensure maximum coordination. The provision shall include the following:

(i) Methods to maximize student eligibility for federal and any other available student financial aid;

(ii) A requirement that scholarship awards pursuant to this article do not supplant tuition and fee waivers; and

(iii) Clarification of the relationship between the scholarship program, tuition savings plans and other state-funded student financial aid programs;

(E) A method for awarding scholarships within the limits of available appropriations, including circumstances when program funds are not sufficient to provide awards to all eligible applicants. The council may not eliminate any current recipient from eligibility; and

(F) A method for applicants to appeal determinations of eligibility and renewal.

(2) The rule may provide for or require the following at the council's discretion:

(A) Requiring repayment of the amount of the scholarship, in whole or in part, if a scholarship recipient chooses to work outside the state after graduation. The rule may not require a recipient to repay a scholarship, in whole or in part, unless the prospective recipient has been informed of this requirement in writing before initial acceptance of the scholarship award;

(B) Targeting a portion of the scholarship funds to be used for applicants enrolled in an engineering, science, technology, teaching or other designated program, and those in new college families who, on graduation from a two-year or four-year institution of higher education would be in the first generation of their families to do so.

(C) Determining the amount of scholarship award needed after applying other sources of funding available to the applicant; and

(D) Providing additional criteria as determined by the council.

§18C-7A-6.  West Virginia Community and Technical College Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship Fund established.

There is hereby established in the State Treasury a nonexpiring special revenue fund designated the Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship Fund to be administered by the Vice Chancellor for Administration of the Higher Education Policy Commission, solely for the purposes provided in this article.  All earnings shall accrue to and be retained by the fund unless otherwise provided in this article. The fund may receive contributions from public or private sources. No payments of awards from the Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship Fund may be made until funds are available. 

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a merit-based Katherine Johnson Hope Scholarship program to provide tuition and fee payments for certain qualified students to attend state community and technical college education programs. No scholarship awards may be made until the program is funded.

 Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

§18C-1-1 has been rewritten; therefore it has been completely underscored.