I

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4259

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

Scholarships to be awarded to all secondary school students in the

top 5 percent of their graduating class, to promote and recognize high

academic achievement in secondary school, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 27, 1996

Mr. MCHALE (for himself, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. KILDEE, Mr.

FAZIO of California, Mr. EVANS, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO ́, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. TEJEDA, Mr. ANDREWS,

and Ms. HARMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities

A BILL

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize

Presidential Honors Scholarships to be awarded to all

secondary school students in the top 5 percent of their

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’’.
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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. 1001 et seq.) is amended by inserting

4 after subpart 6 the following new subpart:

5 ‘‘SUBPART 7—PRESIDENTIAL HONORS SCHOLARSHIP

6 PROGRAM

7 ‘‘SEC. 420A. PRESIDENTIAL HONORS SCHOLARSHIP PRO8 GRAM.

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

10 establish a Presidential Honors Scholarship Program to

11 encourage high academic achievement in public and pri12 vate secondary schools and to recognize and reward the

13 achievement of their outstanding graduates.

14 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—The Secretary is au15 thorized, in accordance with this subpart, to carry out a

16 program of recognizing high academic achievement in pub17 lic and private secondary schools by awarding scholarships

18 to all students in the top 5 percent of their graduating

19 class, and thereby encouraging students to excel in their

20 secondary studies and pursue postsecondary education.

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

22 are authorized to be appropriated $130,000,000 for fiscal

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

24 of the 4 succeeding fiscal years, to carry out the purposes

25 of this subpart. Funds shall remain available for obligation
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1 until the end of the fourth fiscal year immediately succeed2 ing the fiscal year for which such funds were appropriated.

3 ‘‘(d) TERMS OF SCHOLARSHIPS.—

4 ‘‘(1) AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIP.—(A) The

5 amount of a scholarship awarded under this subpart

6 shall be $1,000.

7 ‘‘(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), if

8 funds available in a fiscal year are insufficient to

9 fully fund all scholarships under this subpart, the

10 amount paid to each student shall be reduced pro11 portionately.

12 ‘‘(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of

13 this title, a scholarship awarded under this part—

14 ‘‘(i) shall not be counted in determining

15 the student’s need for grant, loan, or work as16 sistance under this title; and

17 ‘‘(ii) may, alone or in combination with

18 other grant, loan, or work assistance received

19 under this title, exceed the student’s cost of at20 tendance, as defined in section 472.

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

22 who satisfies the requirements of subsection (f) may

23 receive a scholarship under this subpart for a period

24 of not more than 1 academic year of postsecondary
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1 education or training on at least a half-time basis,

2 as determined by the institution.

3 ‘‘(3) SCHOLARSHIP PROCEEDS.—

4 ‘‘(A) USE AND AVAILABILITY.—Scholar5 ship proceeds shall be used for the scholarship

6 recipient’s first year of postsecondary education

7 or training, and shall remain available for such

8 use for not more than 3 academic years follow9 ing his or her graduation from secondary

10 school.

11 ‘‘(B) DISBURSAL.—Scholarship proceeds

12 shall be disbursed on behalf of students who re13 ceive scholarships under this subpart to the in14 stitutions of higher education at which the stu15 dents are enrolled. No scholarship proceeds

16 shall be disbursed on behalf of a student until

17 the student is enrolled at an institution of high18 er education on at least a half-time basis, as de19 termined by such institution.

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

21 A scholarship awarded under this subpart may be

22 used to attend any institution of higher education,

23 as defined in section 481.

24 ‘‘(e) SELECTION OF SCHOLARS.—
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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Scholarships shall be

2 awarded to all students who rank in the top 5 per3 cent of the graduating class of each secondary school

4 that participates in the program under this subpart.

5 Ranking procedures shall be established by each

6 such school, but may not include any nonacademic

7 or extracurricular factors.

8 ‘‘(2) ANNUAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF SCHOLAR9 SHIPS.—Each participating school shall announce

10 the availability of scholarships under this subpart,

11 and its selection procedures, to all students in the

12 school, and their parents, at the beginning of each

13 academic year.

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

15 shall maintain records of its selection procedures,

16 the names of the students selected, and such other

17 related information as the Secretary may require.

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

19 scholarship under this subpart, a student must—

20 ‘‘(1) rank in the top 5 percent of the graduat21 ing class at the secondary school that he or she at22 tends, as established by such school in accordance

23 with subsection (e); and

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

25 ‘‘(g) RECOGNITION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECEIPT.—
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1 ‘‘(1) DESIGNATION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPI2 ENTS.—Students awarded scholarships under this

3 subpart shall be known as ‘Presidential Honors

4 Scholars’.

5 ‘‘(2) CERTIFICATES; CEREMONIES.—The Sec6 retary shall provide each student awarded a scholar7 ship under this subpart a certificate from the Presi8 dent that indicates that the recipient is a Presi9 dential Honors Scholar. The certificates shall be

10 provided through the secondary schools that selected

11 such students. Such schools may present these cer12 tificates in appropriate ceremonies.

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

14 to time, conduct an evaluation of the program authorized

15 by this subpart.

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

17 out the purposes of this subpart, the Secretary may, from

18 time to time, establish policies, procedures, and require19 ments, set deadlines, and require information.’’.

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