SENATE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL 613
51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013
AN ACT
RELATING TO THE PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE; REQUIRING LEGISLATIVE LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS TO COMPLETE FIFTEEN CREDIT HOURS PER SEMESTER; LIMITING LEGISLATIVE LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIPS TO SEVEN SEMESTERS; ADDRESSING LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM SOLVENCY; REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO REIMBURSE STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR TUITION ASSOCIATED WITH REMEDIAL COURSES THAT LEGISLATIVE LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. A new section of Chapter 21 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:
"[NEW MATERIAL] LEGISLATIVE LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIPS--OTHER AWARDS--FUND.--
A. Prior to June 1 of each year, the higher education department shall determine the amount of money available for legislative lottery scholarships at public post-secondary educational institutions based on the amount appropriated by the legislature from the fund and on the projected enrollment at all public post-secondary educational institutions.
B. Except as provided in Subsection C of this section, in accordance with Subsection A of this section, beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year, a legislative lottery scholarship shall be provided per semester by the public post-secondary educational institution for a qualified student up to the amount of tuition, after subtracting other scholarships and grants-in-aid, not including loans, received by the student, as follows:
(1) up to the full amount of in-district resident tuition charged at community colleges; and
(2) a sliding scale for tuition at a state educational institution based on grade point average as follows:
(a) a grade point average of 2.5 or greater but less than 3.0, sixty percent;
(b) a grade point average of 3.0 or greater but less than 3.5, sixty-five percent; and
(c) a grade point average of 3.5 or greater, seventy percent.
C. If the balance in the lottery tuition fund is not sufficient to pay legislative lottery scholarships for all qualified students at the levels specified in Subsection B of this section, the higher education department may reduce the scholarship amounts.
D. If the balance in the lottery tuition fund is sufficient, the higher education department may increase the scholarship amounts in proportions equal to the proportions provided in Subsection B of this section."
SECTION 2. Section 21-1-4.3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1996, Chapter 71, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-1-4.3. LEGISLATIVE LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIPS AUTHORIZED--CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.--
A. To the extent that funds are made available by the legislature from the lottery tuition fund, the boards of regents of New Mexico state university, New Mexico institute of mining and technology, eastern New Mexico university, western New Mexico university, the university of New Mexico, New Mexico highlands university and northern New Mexico college shall award legislative lottery scholarships for tuition for qualified resident students attending their respective institutions and branches of those institutions.
B. Except as otherwise authorized in this section, the legislative lottery scholarships authorized in this section shall apply only to full-time resident students who, immediately upon completion of a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or upon receiving a graduate equivalent diploma, are accepted for entrance to and attend one of the state educational institutions set forth in this section or one of the branches of those institutions. Each legislative lottery scholarship shall be awarded for up to [four] seven consecutive [years] semesters beginning the second semester of the recipient's first year of enrollment if the recipient has maintained residency in New Mexico and maintained a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale during the first semester of full-time enrollment.
C. The legislative lottery scholarships authorized in this section shall also apply to full-time resident students who, immediately upon completion of a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or upon receiving a graduate equivalent diploma, attend a two-year public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico and who, upon the completion of that curriculum or at the end of two years, whichever is sooner, transfer to one of the post-secondary state educational institutions set forth in this section. Those students shall be eligible for a legislative lottery scholarship for two consecutive years if they maintain residency in New Mexico, maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale and attend the institution full time during the regular academic year.
D. The legislative lottery scholarships authorized in this section shall also apply to full-time resident students who:
(1) within one hundred twenty days of completion of a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school, or of receiving a graduate equivalent diploma, begin service in the United States armed forces; and
(2) within one year of completion of honorable service or medical discharge from the service, attend one of the state educational institutions set forth in this section.
E. The higher education department shall prepare guidelines setting forth explicit student continuing eligibility criteria and guidelines for administration of the legislative lottery scholarship program. Guidelines shall be distributed to the board of regents of each institution to enable a uniform availability of the resident student legislative lottery scholarships.
F. Except for remedial courses taken during a recipient's first semester attending an institution listed in Subsection A of this section, a school district shall reimburse an institution listed in Subsection A of this section for the cost of tuition associated with required remedial courses completed by a recipient who graduated from a high school within that school district.
[F.] G. For purposes of the legislative lottery scholarship program as it applies to students with disabilities who may require special accommodations, the higher education department, in consultation with the student and the office at the institution that serves students with disabilities, shall review both the definition of "full time" and the maximum number of consecutive semesters of eligibility and adjust either or both as deemed reasonable and appropriate, based on the student's disability needs. In no case, however, shall "full time" mean fewer than six credit hours per semester, and in no case shall eligibility extend beyond fourteen consecutive semesters for the purpose of this subsection.
H. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection G of this section, for the purposes of this section, "full time" means fifteen credit hours per semester."
- 6 -