PRINTER'S NO. 2705
No. 2091 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY ALLEN, STAIRS, COLAFELLA, PHILLIPS, RAYMOND,
TULLI, FAIRCHILD, ARGALL, BAKER, BATTISTO, BEBKO-JONES,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, BROWNE, CAPPABIANCA, M. COHEN, CORRIGAN,
DAILEY, DALLY, DEMPSEY, FORCIER, GEIST, GEORGE, GRUCELA,
HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HUTCHINSON, JOSEPHS, KENNEY, MAHER,
R. MILLER, S. MILLER, MYERS, ORIE, PIPPY, READSHAW, ROSS,
RUBLEY, SEYFERT, STABACK, STERN, STURLA, THOMAS, WILT,
WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND ZUG, NOVEMBER 17, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, NOVEMBER 17, 1999
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Keystone Scholars Award recognizing and
2 rewarding excellence in academic achievement and performance
3 among graduating seniors in this Commonwealth's public
4 secondary schools.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Keystone
9 Scholars Award Act.
10 Section 2. Purpose.
11 The Keystone Scholars Award is hereby established within the
12 Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency to recognize and
13 reward excellence in academic achievement and performance by
14 selected public secondary school seniors in this Commonwealth
15 and to encourage them to attend institutions of higher education
16 within this Commonwealth.
1 Section 3. Definitions.
2 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
3 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
4 context clearly indicates otherwise:
5 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
6 Agency.
7 "Award." The Keystone Scholars Award established under this
8 act.
9 "Board." The board of school directors of a school district,
10 a joint board or an area vocational-technical school or the
11 board of trustees of a charter school.
12 "Eligible institution." A State-owned, State-related or
13 private institution of higher education or a community college
14 in this Commonwealth.
15 "School entity." A public school district, joint school,
16 charter school or area vocational-technical school.
17 Section 4. Selection process.
18 (a) Member of senior class.--Each school entity shall
19 annually select, for each of its secondary schools, a student
20 who is a member of the senior class and who exemplifies
21 qualities of high academic achievement and excellence in
22 performance as the recipient of the award.
23 (b) Criteria and procedures.--Each board shall adopt a
24 policy setting the criteria and procedures to be used in
25 selecting its award recipient which shall, at a minimum, comply
26 with the requirements of section 5. The award shall be made
27 without regard to the student's race, creed, color, sex,
28 national origin or ancestry.
29 (c) Presentation of award.--The award shall be presented to
30 the recipient at the school entity's annual commencement
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1 exercises.
2 Section 5. Minimum qualifications.
3 At a minimum, a candidate for the award shall:
4 (1) Be a current twelfth grade student enrolled at a
5 Commonwealth public secondary school, charter school or area
6 vocational-technical school.
7 (2) Be a legal resident of this Commonwealth.
8 (3) Hold a 3.5 grade point average, on a scale of 4.0,
9 by the end of the student's junior year.
10 (4) Attain a composite score of 1200 or higher on the
11 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), or equivalent American
12 College Test (ACT) score, on any single test administration.
13 (5) Rank academically in the top 5% of the student's
14 graduating class.
15 (6) Have been accepted for admission in the fall term
16 immediately following secondary school graduation as a full-
17 time student in an eligible institution.
18 (7) Have a history of participation in extracurricular
19 activities, community service or work experience while
20 enrolled at the awarding high school.
21 Section 6. Award.
22 (a) Amount.--Each student selected by a school entity shall
23 be presented an initial award of $1,000, to a maximum of $4,000,
24 and shall be referred to as a Keystone Scholar.
25 (b) Use of award.--The award recipient shall be free to
26 attend any eligible institution of the recipient's choice and
27 shall apply the award toward the tuition, room, board, books and
28 fees of that institution. The eligible institution is not
29 required to accept the award recipient, but is free to exact
30 compliance with its own admission requirements, standards and
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1 policies.
2 Section 7. Renewal of award.
3 (a) Renewal period.--Each award is renewable annually for a
4 period not to exceed an additional three academic years beyond
5 the first year of the award.
6 (b) Qualifications for renewal.--Qualifications for annual
7 renewal of the award include the following:
8 (1) maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or
9 higher on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent.
10 (2) Making normal progress toward completion of a course
11 of study.
12 (3) Continued eligibility as determined by the agency,
13 including continued legal residency and enrollment in an
14 institution of higher education located within this
15 Commonwealth.
16 Section 8. Powers and duties of agency.
17 (a) Public information.--The agency shall prepare and
18 supervise the issuance of public information concerning the
19 provisions of the award.
20 (b) Submission of information.--The agency shall prescribe
21 the form, set time lines and regulate the submission of
22 information from each school entity regarding the selection of
23 its recipient of the award.
24 (c) Initial award.--The agency shall establish procedures
25 for making the initial award to the recipients and for annual
26 renewal of the awards.
27 (d) Disbursement of funds.--The agency is authorized to
28 disburse awards from funds specifically appropriated for the
29 purposes of this act.
30 (e) Rules and regulations.--The agency shall have the power
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1 to adopt rules and regulations to implement, administer and
2 enforce this act.
3 Section 8. Miscellaneous provisions.
4 (a) Exclusion from taxable income.--Awards received by a
5 student under this act shall not be considered taxable income
6 for purposes of Article III of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6,
7 No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971.
8 (b) Eligible institution unaffected.--Awards received by
9 students under this act shall not be considered financial
10 assistance or appropriations to the eligible institutions.
11 Section 9. Effective date.
12 This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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