I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4873
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a scholarship
program to recognize scholar athletes, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 5, 2002
Mr. LEACH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish
a scholarship program to recognize scholar athletes, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘J. Dennis Hastert
Scholar Athlete Act of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.
Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of
1965 is amended by inserting after subpart 8 (20 U.S.C.
1070f) the following new subpart:
‘‘Subpart 9—J. Dennis Hastert Scholar Athlete
Scholarship Program
‘‘SEC. 420M. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS.
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this subpart to
establish a J. Dennis Hastert Scholar Athlete Scholarship
Program—
‘‘(1) to recognize and encourage scholar ath-
letes; and
‘‘(2) to promote the importance of participation
in intercollegiate athletics for the development of
character, initiative, and leadership as part of the
educational experience.
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this part—
‘‘(1) the term ‘institution of higher education’,
notwithstanding section 102, has the meaning pro-
vided in section 101; and
‘‘(2) the term ‘State’ has the meaning provided
in section 103(16).
‘‘SEC. 420N. SCHOLARSHIPS AUTHORIZED.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—The Secretary is au-
thorized, in accordance with the provisions of this subpart,
to make grants to States to enable the States to award
scholarships to individuals who have demonstrated out-
standing academic and athletic achievement and who show
promise of continuing that achievement.
‘‘(b) PERIOD OF AWARD.—Scholarships under this
section shall be awarded for a period of not less than 1
or more than 4 years during the first 4 years of study
at any institution of higher education eligible to partici-
pate in any programs assisted under this title. The State
educational agency administering the program in a State
shall have discretion to determine the period of the award
(within the limits specified in the preceding sentence).
‘‘(c) USE AT ANY INSTITUTION PERMITTED.—A stu-
dent awarded a scholarship under this subpart may attend
any institution of higher education.
‘‘(d) HASTERT SCHOLAR ATHLETES.—Individuals
awarded scholarships under this subpart shall be known
as ‘Hastert Scholar Athletes’.
‘‘SEC. 420O. ALLOCATION AMONG STATES.
‘‘(a) ALLOCATION FORMULA.—From the sums ap-
propriated pursuant to section 420V for any fiscal year,
the Secretary shall allocate to each State that has an
agreement under section 420P an amount that bears the
same ratio to the amount appropriated pursuant to section
420V as the population of such State bears to the popu-
lation of all the States that have such an agreement, ex-
cept that not less than $10,000 shall be made available
to any State.
‘‘(b) USE OF CENSUS DATA.—For the purpose of this
section, the population of a State and all the States shall
be determined by the most recently available data, satis-
factory to the Secretary, from the Bureau of the Census.
‘‘(c) CONSOLIDATION BY INSULAR AREAS PROHIB-
ITED.—Notwithstanding section 501 of Public Law 95–
134 (48 U.S.C. 1469a), funds allocated under this part
to an Insular Area described in that section shall be
deemed to be direct payments to classes of individuals, and
the Insular Area may not consolidate such funds with
other funds received by the Insular Area from any depart-
ment or agency of the United States Government.
‘‘SEC. 420P. AGREEMENTS.
‘‘The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with
each State desiring to participate in the scholarship pro-
gram authorized by this subpart. Each such agreement
shall include provisions designed to assure that—
‘‘(1) the State educational agency will admin-
ister the scholarship program authorized by this sub-
part in the State;
‘‘(2) the State educational agency will comply
with the eligibility and selection provisions of this
subpart;
‘‘(3) the State educational agency will develop
guidelines to ensure that the scholarship funds in
the aggregate will be divided evenly between men
and women;
‘‘(4) from such divided scholarship funds, the
State educational agency will pay to each individual
in the State who is awarded a scholarship under this
subpart $5,000, subject to section 420S(a); and
‘‘(5) the State educational agency will conduct
outreach activities to publicize the availability of
scholarships under this subpart to all eligible stu-
dents in the State, with particular emphasis on ac-
tivities designed to assure that students from low-in-
come and moderate-income families have access to
the information on the opportunity for full participa-
tion in the scholarship program authorized by this
subpart.
‘‘SEC. 420Q. ELIGIBILITY OF SCHOLARS.
‘‘(a) HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION OR EQUIVALENT
AND ADMISSION TO INSTITUTION REQUIRED.—Each stu-
dent awarded a scholarship under this subpart shall be
a graduate of a public or private secondary school or have
the equivalent of a certificate of graduation as recognized
by the State in which the student resides and must have
been admitted for enrollment at an institution of higher
education.
‘‘(b) SELECTION BASED ON PROMISE OF ACADEMIC
AND ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT.—Each student awarded a
scholarship under this subpart—
‘‘(1) must demonstrate quality academic and
athletic achievement and show promise of continued
academic and athletic achievement; and
‘‘(2) must indicate an intent to participate in
intercollegiate athletics; and
‘‘(3) must be a member in good standing of a
school-recognized team to be eligible for any subse-
quent year scholarship assistance, unless lack of par-
ticipation is injury related.
‘‘SEC. 420R. SELECTION OF SCHOLARS.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF CRITERIA.—The State
educational agency is authorized to establish the criteria
for the selection of scholars under this subpart. Such cri-
teria shall include an emphasis on sports that are part
of the Olympic Games or are not significant revenue gen-
erators at particular institutions, or both.
‘‘(b) ADOPTION OF PROCEDURES.—The State edu-
cational agency shall adopt selection procedures designed
to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of awards
within the State.
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—In carrying
out its responsibilities under subsections (a) and (b), the
State educational agency shall consult with school admin-
istrators, school boards, teachers, counselors, and parents.
‘‘(d) TIMING OF SELECTION.—The selection process
shall be completed, and the awards made, prior to the end
of each secondary school academic year.
‘‘SEC. 420S. STIPENDS AND SCHOLARSHIP CONDITIONS.
‘‘(a) AMOUNT OF AWARD.—Each student awarded a
scholarship under this subpart shall receive a stipend of
$5,000 for the academic year of study for which the schol-
arship is awarded, except that in no case shall the total
amount of financial aid awarded to such student exceed
such student’s total cost-of-attendance.
‘‘(b) USE OF AWARD.—The State educational agency
shall establish procedures to assure that a scholar athlete
awarded a scholarship under this subpart pursues a course
of study at an institution of higher education and con-
tinues to engage in athletic competition.
‘‘SEC. 420U. CONSTRUCTION OF NEEDS PROVISIONS.
‘‘Except as provided in section 471, nothing in this
subpart, or any other Act, shall be construed to permit
the receipt of a scholarship under this subpart to be count-
ed for any needs test in connection with the awarding of
any grant or the making of any loan under this Act or
any other provision of Federal law relating to educational
assistance.
‘‘SEC. 420V. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated for this
subpart—
‘‘(1) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
‘‘(2) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
‘‘(3) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
‘‘(4) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.’’.
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