104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2134

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize Presidential Honors

Scholarships to be awarded to all students who graduate in the top

five percent of their secondary school graduating class, to promote and

recognize high academic achievement in secondary school, and for other

purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 26, 1996

Mr. BIDEN (by request) introduced the following bill; which was read twice

and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

A BILL

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize

Presidential Honors Scholarships to be awarded to all

students who graduate in the top five percent of their

secondary school graduating class, to promote and recognize high academic achievement in secondary school, and

for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Presidential Honors

5 Scholarship Act of 1996’’.
2

•S 2134 IS

1 SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL HONORS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

2 Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of

3 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) is amended—

4 (1) by amending the heading for subpart 7 to

5 read as follows:

6 ‘‘Subpart 7—Presidential Honors Scholarship Program’’;

7 and

8 (2) by inserting immediately before subpart 8

9 (20 U.S.C. 1070f et seq.) the following new section:

10 ‘‘SEC. 420A. PRESIDENTIAL HONORS SCHOLARSHIP PRO11 GRAM.

12 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this subpart to

13 establish a Presidential Honors Scholarship program to

14 encourage high academic achievement in public and pri15 vate secondary schools and to recognize and reward the

16 achievement of the outstanding graduates of such schools.

17 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—The Secretary is au18 thorized, in accordance with this subpart, to carry out a

19 program of recognizing high academic achievement in pub20 lic and private secondary schools by awarding scholarships

21 to all students who graduate in the top five percent of

22 their secondary school graduating class, and thereby en23 couraging students to excel in their secondary school stud24 ies and pursue postsecondary education.

25 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

26 are authorized to be appropriated $130,000,000 for fiscal
3

•S 2134 IS

1 year 1998, and such sums as may be necessary for each

2 of the four succeeding fiscal years, to carry out this sub3 part. Funds appropriated pursuant to the authority of the

4 preceding sentence shall remain available for obligation

5 until the last day of the fourth fiscal year immediately suc6 ceeding the fiscal year for which such funds are appro7 priated.

8 ‘‘(d) TERMS OF SCHOLARSHIPS.—

9 ‘‘(1) AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIP.—

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The amount of a

11 scholarship awarded under this subpart shall be

12 $1,000.

13 ‘‘(B) REDUCTION.—Notwithstanding sub14 paragraph (A), if funds available in a fiscal

15 year are insufficient to fully fund all scholar16 ships under this subpart for such year, the

17 amount paid to each student under this subpart

18 for such year shall be reduced proportionately.

19 ‘‘(C) SPECIAL RULES.—Notwithstanding

20 any other provision in this title, a scholarship

21 awarded under this subpart—

22 ‘‘(i) shall not be counted in determin23 ing the student’s need for grant, loan, or

24 work assistance under this title; and
4

•S 2134 IS

1 ‘‘(ii) may, alone or in combination

2 with other grant, loan, or work assistance

3 received under this title, exceed the stu4 dent’s cost of attendance, as defined in

5 section 472.

6 ‘‘(2) PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIPS.—A student

7 who satisfies the requirements of subsection (f) may

8 receive a scholarship under this subpart for a period

9 of not more than one academic year of postsecond10 ary education or training on at least a half-time

11 basis, as determined by the institution.

12 ‘‘(3) SCHOLARSHIP PROCEEDS.—

13 ‘‘(A) USE AND AVAILABILITY.—Scholar14 ship proceeds shall be used for the scholarship

15 recipient’s first year of postsecondary education

16 or training, and shall remain available for such

17 use for not more than three academic years fol18 lowing the student’s graduation from secondary

19 school.

20 ‘‘(B) DISBURSAL.—Scholarship proceeds

21 shall be disbursed on behalf of students who re22 ceive scholarships under this subpart to the in23 stitutions of higher education at which the stu24 dents are enrolled. No scholarship proceeds

25 shall be disbursed on behalf of a student until
5

•S 2134 IS

1 the student is enrolled at an institution of high2 er education on at least a half-time basis, as de3 termined by such institution.

4 ‘‘(4) USE AT ANY INSTITUTION PERMITTED.—

5 A scholarship awarded under this subpart may be

6 used to attend any institution of higher education,

7 as defined in section 481.

8 ‘‘(e) SELECTION OF SCHOLARS.—

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Scholarships under this

10 subpart shall be awarded to all students who rank

11 in the top five percent of the graduating class of

12 each secondary school that participates in the pro13 gram under this subpart. Ranking procedures shall

14 be established by each such school, but may not in15 clude any nonacademic or extracurricular factors.

16 ‘‘(2) ANNUAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF SCHOLAR17 SHIPS.—Each participating secondary school shall

18 announce the availability of scholarships under this

19 subpart, and its selection procedures, to all students

20 in the school, and their parents, at the beginning of

21 each academic year.

22 ‘‘(3) RECORDS.—Each participating school

23 shall maintain records of its selection procedures,

24 the names of the students selected, and such other

25 related information as the Secretary may require.
6

•S 2134 IS

1 ‘‘(f) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY.—In order to receive a

2 scholarship under this subpart, a student shall—

3 ‘‘(1) rank in the top five percent of the grad4 uating class at the secondary school that the student

5 attends, as established by such school in accordance

6 with subsection (e); and

7 ‘‘(2) meet the requirements of section 484.

8 ‘‘(g) RECOGNITION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECEIPT.—

9 ‘‘(1) DESIGNATION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPI10 ENTS.—Students awarded scholarships under this

11 subpart shall be known as ‘Presidential Honors

12 Scholars’.

13 ‘‘(2) CERTIFICATES; CEREMONIES.—The Sec14 retary shall provide each student awarded a scholar15 ship under this subpart a certificate from the Presi16 dent that indicates that the recipient is a Presi17 dential Honors Scholar. The certificates shall be

18 provided through the secondary schools that selected

19 such students. Such schools may present these cer20 tificates in appropriate ceremonies.

21 ‘‘(h) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall, from time

22 to time, conduct an evaluation of the program authorized

23 by this subpart.

24 ‘‘(i) SECRETARIAL AUTHORITY.—In order to carry

25 out the purposes of this subpart, the Secretary may, from
7

•S 2134 IS

1 time to time, establish policies, procedures, and require2 ments, set deadlines, and require information.’’.

Æ