15-105. Early graduation scholarship program; fund; program termination; definition

A. Each school district or charter school that provides instruction in grades nine through twelve in this state shall participate in and promote to students an early graduation scholarship program.

B. The commission for postsecondary education shall develop application forms, procedures and deadlines to implement and administer the early graduation scholarship program in conjunction with the department of education and shall select eligible students each year for participation in the early graduation scholarship program. The school district or charter school that the student attends shall notify the department of education and the commission for postsecondary education if the student graduates at least one year before the student's scheduled graduation date.

C. Participating full-time students who graduate at least one year early shall receive a scholarship grant in an amount not to exceed one thousand two hundred fifty dollars or the actual cost of tuition, books and fees, whichever is less, in the first academic year of postsecondary instruction, and an amount not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars or the actual cost of tuition, books and fees, whichever is less, in the second academic year of postsecondary instruction, to be used to pay all or a portion of the tuition, books and fees charged at a qualifying postsecondary institution for a maximum of two academic years, which must be completed within thirty-six months after the student's actual graduation date from high school. The amount of a scholarship grant awarded to a participating part-time student enrolled at least half-time for the academic year as defined in 20 United States Code section 1088 shall be prorated in accordance with the part-time status of the student.

D. A student who provides satisfactory proof to the commission for postsecondary education that the student has met all of the following criteria is eligible to submit an application for consideration for a scholarship grant under the early graduation scholarship program:

1. The student has graduated from a charter school or a public high school that is part of a school district in this state at least one year earlier than the student's class is scheduled to graduate.

2. The student has achieved a passing score on each component of the Arizona instrument to measure standards test that is required for graduation from high school.

3. The student is currently a resident of this state and has been a resident of this state for at least the past twelve months.

4. The student has completed and submitted a free application for federal student aid.

E. The school district or charter school from which the student graduated shall include the student who graduates early in the school district's or charter school's student count until the student's class is scheduled to graduate and shall continue to receive per pupil funding minus two thousand two hundred dollars for a student who graduates at least one year early until the student's class is scheduled to graduate. The school district or charter school shall place the per pupil funding received in the school district's or charter school's maintenance and operations fund.

F. The department of education shall transmit both of the following to the commission for postsecondary education:

1. A list of early graduates with their identifying information, cohort graduation date, early graduation date and high school of graduation.

2. Two thousand two hundred dollars of the amount of per pupil funding provided to a school district or charter school for a student who graduates at least one year early for deposit in the early graduation scholarship fund established by this section.

G. The commission for postsecondary education shall make awards from the early graduation scholarship fund for payment of tuition, books and fees at qualifying postsecondary institutions to students who are selected to participate in the early graduation scholarship program on verification of admission, enrollment and certification of the cost of each student's tuition and fees by the qualifying postsecondary institutions.

H. If the amount of monies available for scholarship grants in any fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarship grants to all eligible applicants, the commission for postsecondary education shall award scholarship grants to eligible students in the order in which the applications were received by the commission, except that priority shall be given to eligible students who received a scholarship grant in the previous fiscal year and who are still in good academic standing at the same qualifying postsecondary institution or who transferred to a different qualifying postsecondary institution but remain in good academic standing at the previous qualifying postsecondary institution. The commission for postsecondary education shall maintain a waiting list for all other applicants.

I. A qualifying postsecondary institution shall notify the commission for postsecondary education if a student who has received a scholarship grant is no longer in good academic standing at the qualifying postsecondary institution or is no longer enrolled at the qualifying postsecondary institution.

J. The student or the qualifying postsecondary institution shall reimburse the early graduation scholarship fund for any unused scholarship grant funds received pursuant to subsection C of this section if the student does not complete the academic year as defined in 20 United States Code section 1088. A student shall complete the first year in good academic standing from a qualifying postsecondary institution before receiving monies for the second year from the early graduation scholarship fund.

K. A student who receives an early graduation scholarship grant shall be allowed, at no additional cost except for fees charged to all students, to both:

1. Participate in extracurricular activities until the student's high school class is scheduled to graduate.

2. Participate in the student's high school class graduation ceremonies.

L. The early graduation scholarship fund is established consisting of monies deposited pursuant to subsection F of this section and all repayments that are received pursuant to subsection J of this section. The commission for postsecondary education shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. On notice from the commission, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from the investment shall be credited to the fund. The commission may retain up to five per cent of the monies in the fund for administrative costs. The commission may hire up to two full-time equivalent positions for the implementation and administration of the early graduation scholarship program.

M. The commission for postsecondary education shall submit an annual report by December 1 to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and a copy of the report shall be submitted to the secretary of state and the director of the Arizona state library, archives and public records. The report shall contain at least the following:

1. The number of students who graduated at least one year early for each year of implementation of the program by each school district and charter school.

2. The number of scholarships provided pursuant to this section.

3. The average amount per scholarship provided pursuant to this section.

4. The balance in the early graduation scholarship fund.

5. The number of students using a scholarship to attend a regionally or nationally accredited public or private postsecondary institution and the number of students using a scholarship to attend a regionally or nationally accredited vocational program.

6. A description of how the commission expended monies for administrative costs of the program pursuant to subsection L of this section.

N. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2017 pursuant to section 41-3102.

O. For the purposes of this section, "qualifying postsecondary institution" means a regionally or nationally accredited public or private postsecondary educational institution in this state or a regionally or nationally accredited vocational program in this state.

15-105. Early graduation scholarship program; fund; program termination; definition

A. Each school district or charter school that provides instruction in grades nine through twelve in this state shall participate in and promote to students an early graduation scholarship program.

B. The commission for postsecondary education shall develop application forms, procedures and deadlines to implement and administer the early graduation scholarship program in conjunction with the department of education and shall select eligible students each year for participation in the early graduation scholarship program. The school district or charter school that the student attends shall notify the department of education and the commission for postsecondary education if the student graduates at least one year before the student's scheduled graduation date.

C. Participating full-time students who graduate at least one year early shall receive a scholarship grant in an amount not to exceed one thousand two hundred fifty dollars or the actual cost of tuition, books and fees, whichever is less, in the first academic year of postsecondary instruction, and an amount not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars or the actual cost of tuition, books and fees, whichever is less, in the second academic year of postsecondary instruction, to be used to pay all or a portion of the tuition, books and fees charged at a qualifying postsecondary institution for a maximum of two academic years, which must be completed within thirty-six months after the student's actual graduation date from high school. The amount of a scholarship grant awarded to a participating part-time student enrolled at least half-time for the academic year as defined in 20 United States Code section 1088 shall be prorated in accordance with the part-time status of the student.

D. A student who provides satisfactory proof to the commission for postsecondary education that the student has met all of the following criteria is eligible to submit an application for consideration for a scholarship grant under the early graduation scholarship program:

1. The student has graduated from a charter school or a public high school that is part of a school district in this state at least one year earlier than the student's class is scheduled to graduate.

2. The student has achieved a passing score on each component of the Arizona instrument to measure standards test that is required for graduation from high school.

3. The student is currently a resident of this state and has been a resident of this state for at least the past twelve months.

4. The student has completed and submitted a free application for federal student aid.

E. The school district or charter school from which the student graduated shall include the student who graduates early in the school district's or charter school's student count until the student's class is scheduled to graduate and shall continue to receive per pupil funding minus two thousand two hundred dollars for a student who graduates at least one year early until the student's class is scheduled to graduate. The school district or charter school shall place the per pupil funding received in the school district's or charter school's maintenance and operations fund.

F. The department of education shall transmit both of the following to the commission for postsecondary education:

1. A list of early graduates with their identifying information, cohort graduation date, early graduation date and high school of graduation.

2. Two thousand two hundred dollars of the amount of per pupil funding provided to a school district or charter school for a student who graduates at least one year early for deposit in the early graduation scholarship fund established by this section.

G. The commission for postsecondary education shall make awards from the early graduation scholarship fund for payment of tuition, books and fees at qualifying postsecondary institutions to students who are selected to participate in the early graduation scholarship program on verification of admission, enrollment and certification of the cost of each student's tuition and fees by the qualifying postsecondary institutions.

H. If the amount of monies available for scholarship grants in any fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarship grants to all eligible applicants, the commission for postsecondary education shall award scholarship grants to eligible students in the order in which the applications were received by the commission, except that priority shall be given to eligible students who received a scholarship grant in the previous fiscal year and who are still in good academic standing at the same qualifying postsecondary institution or who transferred to a different qualifying postsecondary institution but remain in good academic standing at the previous qualifying postsecondary institution. The commission for postsecondary education shall maintain a waiting list for all other applicants.

I. A qualifying postsecondary institution shall notify the commission for postsecondary education if a student who has received a scholarship grant is no longer in good academic standing at the qualifying postsecondary institution or is no longer enrolled at the qualifying postsecondary institution.

J. The student or the qualifying postsecondary institution shall reimburse the early graduation scholarship fund for any unused scholarship grant funds received pursuant to subsection C of this section if the student does not complete the academic year as defined in 20 United States Code section 1088. A student shall complete the first year in good academic standing from a qualifying postsecondary institution before receiving monies for the second year from the early graduation scholarship fund.

K. A student who receives an early graduation scholarship grant shall be allowed, at no additional cost except for fees charged to all students, to both:

1. Participate in extracurricular activities until the student's high school class is scheduled to graduate.

2. Participate in the student's high school class graduation ceremonies.

L. The early graduation scholarship fund is established consisting of monies deposited pursuant to subsection F of this section and all repayments that are received pursuant to subsection J of this section. The commission for postsecondary education shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. On notice from the commission, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from the investment shall be credited to the fund. The commission may retain up to five per cent of the monies in the fund for administrative costs. The commission may hire up to two full-time equivalent positions for the implementation and administration of the early graduation scholarship program.

M. The commission for postsecondary education shall submit an annual report by December 1 to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and a copy of the report shall be submitted to the secretary of state and the director of the Arizona state library, archives and public records. The report shall contain at least the following:

1. The number of students who graduated at least one year early for each year of implementation of the program by each school district and charter school.

2. The number of scholarships provided pursuant to this section.

3. The average amount per scholarship provided pursuant to this section.

4. The balance in the early graduation scholarship fund.

5. The number of students using a scholarship to attend a regionally or nationally accredited public or private postsecondary institution and the number of students using a scholarship to attend a regionally or nationally accredited vocational program.

6. A description of how the commission expended monies for administrative costs of the program pursuant to subsection L of this section.

N. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2017 pursuant to section 41-3102.

O. For the purposes of this section, "qualifying postsecondary institution" means a regionally or nationally accredited public or private postsecondary educational institution in this state or a regionally or nationally accredited vocational program in this state.