Wisconsin Legislature: 60,3

3. For each high school with an enrollment of at least 1,000 pupils but fewer than 1,500 pupils, designate the 3 seniors with the 3 highest levels of proficiency in technical education subjects as scholars.

4. For each high school with an enrollment of at least 1,500 pupils but fewer than 2,000 pupils, designate the 4 seniors with the 4 highest levels of proficiency in technical education subjects as scholars.

5. For each high school with an enrollment of at least 2,000 pupils but fewer than 2,500 pupils, designate the 5 seniors with the 5 highest levels of proficiency in technical education subjects as scholars.

6. For each high school with an enrollment of 2,500 or more pupils, designate the 6 seniors with the 6 highest levels of proficiency in technical education subjects as scholars.

(b) Subject to par. (e), by February 25 of each school year, the school board of each school district operating one or more high schools and the governing body of each private high school and of each tribal high school may, for each high school with an enrollment of fewer than 80 pupils, nominate for designation as a scholar by the executive secretary under par. (c) 3. the senior with the highest level of proficiency in technical education subjects.

1. Subject to par. (f), for the school operated by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, designate the senior with the highest level of proficiency in technical education subjects as a scholar.

2. Subject to par. (g), for the school operated by the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, designate the senior with the highest level of proficiency in technical education subjects as a scholar.

3. Designate not more than 10 seniors nominated under par. (b) as scholars.

4. For each public, private, or tribal high school with an enrollment of at least 80 pupils, notify the school board of the school district operating the public high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high school of the number of scholars to be designated under par. (a).

5. For each public, private, or tribal high school with an enrollment of fewer than 80 pupils, notify the school board of the school district operating the public high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high school that the school board or governing body may nominate a senior under par. (b) who may be designated as a scholar by the executive secretary.

(d) By February 25 of each school year, if 2 or more seniors from the same high school of at least 80 pupils have the same level of proficiency in technical education subjects and, except for the limitation on the number of designated scholars, are otherwise eligible for designation under par. (a), the faculty of the high school shall select the applicable number of seniors for designation under par. (a) as scholars and shall select, in order of priority, any remaining seniors with the same level of proficiency as alternates for the scholars or, if there is no remaining senior with the same level of proficiency, any remaining seniors with the next highest level of proficiency as alternates for the scholars. If a senior from that high school who is designated as a scholar under par. (a) does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a), an alternate for the scholar with the same level of proficiency as any senior from that high school designated as a scholar under par. (a) shall be eligible for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board. If an alternate with the same level of proficiency as a scholar under par. (a) does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a), an alternate with the next highest level of proficiency shall be eligible for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

(e) If 2 or more seniors from the same high school of fewer than 80 pupils have the same level of proficiency in technical education subjects and, except for the limitation of one nominated senior, are otherwise eligible for nomination under par. (b), the faculty of the high school shall select the senior who may be nominated by the school board of the school district operating the public high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high school for designation under par. (b) as a scholar by the executive secretary. If that senior is designated as a scholar by the executive secretary, but does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a), the faculty of the high school shall select, in order of priority, one or more of the remaining seniors with the same level of proficiency for nomination as a scholar or, if there is no remaining senior with the same level of proficiency, one or more of the remaining seniors with the next highest level of proficiency for nomination as a scholar, and the school board of the school district operating the high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high school shall nominate under par. (b) one or more of these seniors as eligible for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

(f) If 2 or more seniors from the school operated by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired have the same level of proficiency in technical education subjects and, except for the limitation of one designated senior, are otherwise eligible for designation under par. (c) 1., the executive secretary shall make the designation under par. (c) 1. of the senior who may be eligible for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a). If that senior does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a), the executive secretary shall designate, in order of priority, one or more of the remaining seniors with the same level of proficiency, or, if there is no remaining senior with the same level of proficiency, one or more of the remaining seniors with the next highest level of proficiency as eligible for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

(g) If 2 or more seniors from the school operated by the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing have the same level of proficiency in technical education subjects and, except for the limitation of one designated senior, are otherwise eligible for designation under par. (c) 2., the executive secretary shall make the designation under par. (c) 2. of the senior who may be eligible for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a). If that senior does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a), the executive secretary shall designate, in order of priority, one or more of the remaining seniors with the same level of proficiency, or, if there is no remaining senior with the same level of proficiency, one or more of the remaining seniors with the next highest level of proficiency as eligible for a higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

(h) Notwithstanding par. (a), if a high school of at least 80 pupils closes or merges, the school board of the school district operating the high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high school shall, subject to par. (d), for each of the 2 school years following the closure or merger, designate the same number of scholars from among the pupils enrolled in the high school at the time of closure or merger as the number of scholars designated for that high school in the school year the high school closed or merged. Any seniors designated under this paragraph shall be eligible for an original scholarship under this section.

(4) Technical college scholarships. (a) If a designated scholar under sub. (3) is admitted to and enrolls, on a full-time basis, by September 30 of the academic year immediately following the school year in which the senior was designated a scholar, in a technical college district school that is participating in the program under this section, the scholar shall receive a higher education scholarship in an amount not to exceed $2,250 per academic year.

(b) For each academic year that a scholar who receives a scholarship under par. (a) is enrolled full time, maintains at least a 3.000 grade point average or the equivalent as determined by the district school, and makes satisfactory progress toward an associate degree, a bachelor's degree, or a vocational diploma, the student is eligible to receive a higher education scholarship as determined under par. (a) in the subsequent year or, if the scholar does not enroll in a participating district school in the subsequent year, in the 2nd year following the year in which the scholar received the scholarship. No scholar is eligible for a higher education scholarship for more than 3 years at a district school.

(c) Subject to sub. (5), for each year the student receives a higher education scholarship under par. (a) or (b), the board shall pay the district school, on behalf of the student, an amount not to exceed $1,125 per academic year.

(5) Payments; match required. (a) The board shall make the payments under sub. (4) (c) only if the district school matches the amount of the payment from institutional funds, gifts, or grants.

(b) The board shall make the payments under sub. (4) (c) from the appropriation under s. 20.235 (1) (fw).

(6) Notifications; approval; withdrawal. (a) 1. Each technical college district school that wishes to participate in the scholarship program under this section shall notify the board of its wish to participate in the program by October 1 prior to the academic year in which the school wishes to begin participation. The board shall approve for participation in the program a district school that provides notice under this subdivision of its wish to participate in the program. An approval under this subdivision remains valid until suspended or revoked by the board or until withdrawn by the school as provided under subd. 2.

2. If a district school that is approved under subd. 1. for participation in the scholarship program under this section subsequently wishes to no longer participate in the program, the school shall notify the board of this fact in writing by October 1 prior to the academic year in which the institution will no longer participate.

(b) Each designated scholar who is eligible for an original higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a) shall notify the board as soon as practicable of the district school he or she will be attending in the next academic year. Each designated scholar who is eligible for a subsequent higher education scholarship under sub. (4) (a) shall notify the board as soon as practicable whether he or she will be enrolling in a participating district school in the academic year immediately following the academic year in which he or she received an original or subsequent scholarship under sub. (4) (a), or in the 2nd academic year following that academic year, and of the district school in which he or she will be enrolling.

(c) Annually, the board shall notify each scholar who will be attending a participating technical college district school in the next academic year of the amount of his or her higher education scholarship.

(7) Scholarships not to supplant other grant; exception. (a) Except as provided in par. (b), a scholarship under this section shall not be used to supplant any other grant for which a student is eligible.

(b) A student who receives a scholarship under this section is not eligible to receive a scholarship under s. 39.41.

(8) Annual report. By August 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, the board shall submit a report to the joint committee on finance evaluating the success of the program under this section. The report shall specify the number and amount of the scholarships awarded in the current fiscal year and the technical college district schools chosen by the scholarship recipients.

(9) Rules. The board shall promulgate rules to implement this section.

60,3 Section 3. Initial applicability.

(1) Technical excellence higher education scholarships. This act first applies to students who enroll in a technical college district school in the 2015-16 academic year.