I

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3648

To reestablish the National Science Scholars Program.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 13, 1996

Mr. MARKEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities, and in addition to the

Committee on Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To reestablish the National Science Scholars Program.

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

3 SECTION 1. PURPOSE; APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED.

4 (a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act—

5 (1) to establish a National Science Scholars

6 Program to recognize student excellence and

7 achievement in the physical, life, and computer

8 sciences, mathematics, and engineering;

9 (2) to provide financial assistance to students

10 under paragraph (1) to continue their postsecondary
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1 education in such fields of study at sustained high

2 levels of performance;

3 (3) to contribute to strengthening the leader4 ship of the United States in such fields;

5 (4) to strengthen the United States mathe6 matics, science, and engineering base by offering op7 portunities to pursue postsecondary education in life,

8 physical, and computer sciences, mathematics, and

9 engineering;

10 (5) to encourage role models in scientific, math11 ematics, and engineering fields for young people;

12 (6) to strengthen the United States mathe13 matics, scientific, and engineering potential by en14 couraging equal participation of women with men in

15 mathematics, scientific, and engineering fields; and

16 (7) to attract talented students to teaching ca17 reers in mathematics and science in elementary and

18 secondary schools.

19 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

20 are authorized to be appropriated $4,500,000 for fiscal

21 year 1997 and such sums as may be necessary for each

22 of the 4 succeeding fiscal years for awards to National

23 Science Scholars.
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1 SEC. 2. SCHOLARSHIPS AUTHORIZED.

2 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—The Secretary is author3 ized, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, to carry

4 out a program of awarding scholarships to students for

5 the study of the physical, life, or computer sciences, math6 ematics, or engineering, who—

7 (1) are selected by the President;

8 (2) have demonstrated outstanding academic

9 achievement in the physical, life, or computer

10 sciences, mathematics, or engineering; and

11 (3) show promise of continued outstanding aca12 demic performance in such field of study.

13 (b) PERIOD OF AWARDS.—

14 (1) PERIOD OF INITIAL AWARD.—A student

15 who satisfies the requirements of section 4(a) may

16 receive a scholarship, for a period of 1 academic

17 year, for the first year of undergraduate study at an

18 institution of higher education.

19 (2) CONTINUATION AWARDS.—A student who

20 satisfies the requirements of section 4(b) may re21 ceive additional scholarships, each awarded for a pe22 riod of 1 academic year, in order to complete his or

23 her undergraduate course of study. A student may

24 receive additional scholarships for not more than 3

25 academic years of undergraduate study, except that,

26 in the case of a student who is enrolled in an under-
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1 graduate course of study that requires attendance

2 for 5 academic years, the student may receive addi3 tional scholarships for not more than 4 academic

4 years of undergraduate study.

5 (c) USE AT ANY INSTITUTION PERMITTED.—A stu6 dent awarded a scholarship under this Act may attend any

7 institution of higher education.

8 (d) NATIONAL SCIENCE SCHOLARS.—Students

9 awarded scholarships under this Act shall be known as

10 ‘‘National Science Scholars’’.

11 SEC. 3. SELECTION OF SCHOLARS.

12 (a) SELECTION CRITERIA FOR INITIAL AWARDS.—

13 (1) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Director shall

14 develop and submit to the Secretary proposed cri15 teria to be used in the selection of National Science

16 Scholars for initial year awards under section

17 2(b)(1). Such criteria shall provide for the selection

18 of such scholars on the basis of potential to success19 fully complete a postsecondary program in the phys20 ical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, or engi21 neering, and on the basis of motivation to pursue a

22 career in such fields. In addition, consideration may

23 be given to the financial need of the individual, and

24 to promoting participation by minorities and individ25 uals with disabilities. The Director shall determine
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1 proposed criteria for measuring the potential and

2 motivation of nominees.

3 (2) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary and the Di4 rector shall agree to, and jointly publish in the Fed5 eral Register, appropriate selection criteria.

6 (b) SELECTION PROCESS FOR INITIAL AWARDS.—

7 (1) NOMINATING COMMITTEE.—Each State de8 siring to qualify its students for selection as Na9 tional Science Scholars shall establish a nominating

10 committee. Such committee shall be appointed by

11 the chief State school officer or by an existing grant

12 agency or panel designated by such officer, and shall

13 be approved by the Secretary. The nominating com14 mittee shall be a broad-based committee composed of

15 educators, scientists, mathematicians, and engineers,

16 who shall serve as volunteers without compensation.

17 (2) NOMINATIONS.—The nominating committee

18 in each State shall submit to the President the

19 nominations of at least four individuals from each

20 congressional district in the State, at least half of

21 whom are female. Such selections shall be ranked in

22 order of priority.

23 (3) SELECTION.—The President, after consulta24 tion with the Secretary and the Director, shall select

25 two National Science Scholars for each academic
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1 year from each congressional district, at least one of

2 whom shall be female.

3 (4) ANNOUNCEMENT AND AWARD OF SCHOLAR4 SHIPS.—The selection process shall be completed,

5 and the announcement of the selection of National

6 Science Scholars shall be made by the President

7 prior to January 1st of each fiscal year. The Sec8 retary shall notify each Member of Congress of se9 lections made from such Member’s district and State

10 before the public announcement by the President.

11 Presentation of scholarships may be made in a pub12 lic ceremony.

13 (5) CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.—For purposes

14 of this subsection, the term ‘‘congressional district’’

15 includes the part or all of a State (within the mean16 ing of section 1201(b) of the Higher Education Act

17 of 1965) represented by a Member or Delegate of

18 the House of Representatives, and includes the Com19 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

20 (c) CONTINUATION AWARDS.—The Secretary shall

21 award additional scholarships under section 2(b)(2) to re22 cipients of initial awards under section 2(b)(1) who the

23 Secretary determines meet the requirements of section

24 4(b).
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1 (d) DISBURSAL OF SCHOLARSHIP PROCEEDS.—

2 Scholarship proceeds shall be disbursed on behalf of stu3 dents who receive scholarships under this Act to the insti4 tutions of higher education at which the students are en5 rolled. No scholarship proceeds shall be disbursed on be6 half of a student until the student is enrolled at an institu7 tion of higher education.

8 (e) SPECIAL RULE.—The Director and the Secretary

9 shall encourage the support and assistance of civic groups,

10 the business community, professional associations, institu11 tions of higher education, and others in providing scholar12 ship assistance to National Science Scholarship finalists.

13 SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY OF SCHOLARS.

14 (a) REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIAL AWARD.—To be eli15 gible to receive a scholarship under section 2(b)(1), a stu16 dent shall—

17 (1) be scheduled to graduate from a public or

18 private secondary school, or to obtain the equivalent

19 of a certificate of graduation (as recognized by the

20 State in which the student resides), during the

21 school year in which the award is made;

22 (2) be a citizen or national of the United States

23 or the entities set forth in section 3(b)(5), or be an

24 alien lawfully admitted to the United States for per25 manent residence;
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1 (3) have demonstrated outstanding academic

2 achievement in secondary school in physical, life, or

3 computer sciences, mathematics, or engineering;

4 (4) have been accepted for enrollment at an in5 stitution of higher education as a full-time under6 graduate student (as determined by the institution);

7 and

8 (5) have declared a major in 1 of the physical,

9 life, or computer sciences, mathematics, or engineer10 ing, or provided a written statement to the State of

11 his or her intent to major in 1 of these fields of

12 study, if it is the policy of the institution at which

13 the student has been accepted for enrollment that

14 students not declare a major until a later point in

15 their course of study.

16 (b) REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTINUATION AWARDS.—

17 A student who has received a scholarship under section

18 2(b)(1) may receive a scholarship for a subsequent aca19 demic year of undergraduate education under section

20 2(b)(2) if the student—

21 (1) maintains a high level of academic achieve22 ment, as determined in accordance with the regula23 tions of the Secretary;

24 (2) continues to major in, or provides a state25 ment to the State as described in subsection (a)(5)
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1 of his or her continuing intent to major in, one of

2 the physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics,

3 or engineering; and

4 (3) continues to be enrolled at an institution of

5 higher education as a full-time undergraduate stu6 dent (as determined by the institution).

7 (c) WAIVER OF FULL-TIME ATTENDANCE REQUIRE8 MENT.—The Secretary may waive the full-time attendance

9 requirements in this section in unusual circumstances.

10 (d) FAILURE TO MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIRE11 MENTS.—In the event that the student fails to meet the

12 requirements of this section, the student’s eligibility to re13 ceive further scholarships (or scholarship proceeds) under

14 this Act shall be suspended in accordance with the regula15 tions of the Secretary.

16 (e) REINSTATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY.—The Sec17 retary shall determine circumstances under which eligi18 bility of a scholarship recipient under this Act may be re19 instated if the recipient seeks to re-enter school after an

20 interruption of schooling for personal reasons, including,

21 but not limited to, pregnancy, child-rearing, and other

22 family responsibilities.

23 (f) NOTIFICATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS.—The

24 Secretary shall notify all public and private secondary

25 schools and all institutions of higher education in each
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1 State annually of the availability of scholarships under

2 this Act.

3 SEC. 5. SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT.

4 (a) AMOUNT OF AWARD.—Except as provided in sub5 sections (b) and (c), the amount of a scholarship awarded

6 under this Act for any academic year shall be $5,000.

7 (b) RELATION TO COST OF ATTENDANCE.—Notwith8 standing subsection (a), the amount of a scholarship

9 awarded under this Act shall be reduced by the amount

10 that the scholarship exceeds the student’s cost of attend11 ance, as defined in section 472 of the Higher Education

12 Act of 1965. A scholarship awarded under this Act shall

13 not be reduced on the basis of the student’s receipt of

14 other forms of Federal student financial assistance, but

15 shall be taken into account in determining the eligibility

16 of the student for those other forms of Federal student

17 financial assistance.

18 (c) ADJUSTMENTS FOR INSUFFICIENT APPROPRIA19 TIONS.—In the event that funds available in a fiscal year

20 are insufficient to fully fund all awards under this Act,

21 the amount paid to each student shall be reduced propor22 tionately.
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1 SEC. 6. SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR

2 SCHOLARS.

3 (a) PRIORITY FOR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT.—To the

4 extent that they are otherwise qualified, students receiving

5 scholarships under this Act shall be given priority consid6 eration for federally financed summer employment in fed7 erally funded research and development centers, that, to

8 the maximum extent practicable, complements and rein9 forces the educational program of these students.

10 (b) FEDERAL AGENCY COOPERATION.—Federal

11 agencies shall cooperate fully with the Secretary and par12 ticipate actively in providing appropriate summer employ13 ment opportunities for such students.

14 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

15 As used in this Act—

16 (1) the term ‘‘Director’’ shall refer to the Di17 rector of the National Science Foundation;

18 (2) the term ‘‘elementary school’’ has the same

19 meaning given that term in section 14101(14) of the

20 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965;

21 (3) the term ‘‘institution of higher education’’

22 has the same meaning given that term in section

23 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965;

24 (4) the term ‘‘minorities’’ refers to members of

25 those racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in

26 mathematics, science and engineering, including
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1 American Indians, Black Americans, Hispanic

2 Americans, Native Alaskans, or Native Pacific Is3 landers;

4 (5) the term ‘‘scholarship’’ refers to a financial

5 award made to a student which enables a student to

6 pursue a desired course of study at an institution of

7 higher education;

8 (6) the term ‘‘secondary school’’ has the same

9 meaning given that term in section 14101(25) of the

10 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965;

11 and

12 (7) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ refers to the Sec13 retary of the Department of Education.

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