44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; AUTHORIZING PRIVATE STUDENT TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the "Private Student Tuition Scholarship Act".

Section 2. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The legislature recognizes that for every student eligible for public school who is instead educated in a non-public school or at home, the state is spared the cost of educating that student. The intent of the Private Student Tuition Scholarship Act is to recognize the value of the private contribution that has been made to the student's education by providing the student with a tuition scholarship for post-secondary education.

Section 3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Private Student Tuition Scholarship Act:

A. "commission" means the commission on higher education;

B. "eligible institution" means any public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico;

C. "eligible student" means a New Mexico resident under the age of twenty-four who has completed one or more years of qualifying private education; and

D. "qualifying private education" means elementary or secondary education in New Mexico that occurred after July 1, 2000 at an accredited non-public school or in an approved home-school program.

Section 4. ELIGIBILITY.--An eligible student meeting entrance requirements shall be entitled to one full-year tuition scholarship to the eligible institution of the student's choice for each year of qualifying private education completed by the student at a time when the student was eligible for enrollment in public school in New Mexico. The scholarship shall continue for such time as the recipient remains a student in good standing at the institution, but in no event shall the student receive a scholarship for more than five years.

Section 5. RULES.--The commission may adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of the Private Student Tuition Scholarship Act.

Section 6. APPROPRIATION.--One million four hundred thousand dollars ($1,400,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the commission on higher education for expenditure in fiscal year 2001 to implement the Private Student Tuition Scholarship Act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2001 shall revert to the general fund.