39.41(1m)(b) (b) By February 15 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 may, for each high school with an enrollment of less than 80 pupils, nominate the senior with the highest grade point average in all subjects who may be designated as a scholar by the executive secretary under par. (c) 3.

39.41(1m)(c) (c) The executive secretary shall:

39.41(1m)(c)4. 4. For each public or private 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 high school of the number of scholars to be designated under par. (a).

39.41(1m)(c)5. 5. For each public or private high school with an enrollment of less than 80 pupils, notify the school board of the school district operating the public high school or the governing body of the private 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.

39.41(1m)(cm) (cm) The executive secretary may grant waivers under par. (m).

39.41(1m)(d) (d) Except as provided in par. (dm), by February 15 of each school year, if 2 or more seniors from the same high school of at least 80 pupils have the same grade point average 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 certify, in order of priority, any remaining seniors as alternates for a scholar with the same grade point average. If a senior from that high school designated as a scholar under par. (a) does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), an alternate for the scholar with the same grade point average as any senior from that high school designated as a scholar under par. (a) shall be eligible for a higher education scholarship as a scholar under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

39.41(1m)(dm) (dm) If the high school weights different courses differently to determine a pupil's grade point average, the faculty of the high school shall select for each scholar designated under par. (d) a senior with the same grade point average as an alternate for the scholar, or, if there is not another pupil with the same grade point average, a senior with the next highest grade point average as an alternate for the scholar.

39.41(1m)(e) (e) Except as provided under par. (em), if 2 or more seniors from the same high school of less than 80 pupils have the same grade point average 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 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 and does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), faculty of the high school shall select one or more of the remaining seniors with the same grade point average for certification as a scholar and the school board of the school district operating the high school or the governing body of the private high school shall certify to the board one or more of these seniors as eligible for a higher education scholarship as a scholar under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

39.41(1m)(em) (em) If the high school weights different courses differently to determine a pupil's grade point average, and the senior designated as a scholar by the executive secretary under par. (e) does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), the faculty of the high school shall select one senior with the same grade point average for certification as a scholar, or, if there is no senior with the same grade point average, one senior with the next highest grade point average for certification as a scholar, and the school board of the school district operating the high school or the governing body of the private high school shall certify to the board the selected senior as eligible for a higher education scholarship as a scholar under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

39.41(1m)(f) (f) If 2 or more seniors from the school operated by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired have the same grade point average 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 as a scholar and, if that senior does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), shall designate one or more of the remaining seniors with the same grade point average as eligible for a higher education scholarship as a scholar under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

39.41(1m)(fm) (fm) 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 grade point average 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 as a scholar and, if that senior does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), shall designate one or more of the remaining seniors with the same grade point average as eligible for a higher education scholarship as a scholar under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

39.41(1m)(g) (g) Notwithstanding par. (a), if a high school of at least 80 pupils closes or merges in the 1991-92 school year or in any school year thereafter, the school board of the school district operating the high school or the governing body of the private 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.

39.41(1m)(h) (h) Notwithstanding par. (a), if a public high school of at least 80 pupils closed following the 1989-90 school year and a pupil from the closed high school was designated a scholar under this section for either of the 2 school years following the closure by the school board of a school district operating a high school that enrolled pupils from the closed high school, such school board shall designate the senior with the next highest grade point average for that school year as a scholar. Any scholar designated under this paragraph shall be eligible for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (b) or (3) (b) as determined under par. (a), notwithstanding that the scholar did not receive a higher education scholarship for the academic year immediately following the school year in which the pupil from the closed high school was designated a scholar under this section.

39.41(1m)(i) (i) Notwithstanding par. (d), if the school board of a school district operating a high school or the governing body of a private high school has complied with s. 39.41 (1m) (d), 1991 stats., for the 1993-94 school year and a senior from that high school designated as a scholar under s. 39.41 (1m) (a), 1991 stats., and s. 39.41 (1m) (d), 1991 stats., does not qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), the faculty of the high school shall select one or more of the remaining seniors with the same grade point average for certification as a scholar. The school board of the school district operating the high school or the governing body of the private high school shall certify to the board one or more of these seniors as eligible for a higher education scholarship as a scholar under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.

39.41(1m)(j) (j) In the event that 2 or more seniors from the same high school of at least 80 pupils have the same grade point average and are otherwise eligible for designation under par. (a), the school board of the school district operating the high school or the governing body of the private high school shall make the designation of the faculty of the high school for purposes of par. (d) or (i).

39.41(1m)(m) (m) Notwithstanding pars. (a), (b) and (d), if a high school ranks its seniors on the basis of grades in academic subjects, the school board of the school district operating the high school or the governing body of the private high school or, for purposes of par. (d), the faculty of the high school may request a waiver from the executive secretary in order to fulfill its requirements under par. (a), (b) or (d) on the basis of grade point averages in academic subjects.

39.41(2)(a)(a) If a designated scholar under sub. (1m) 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 an institution within the University of Wisconsin System or in a technical college district school that is participating in the program under this section, the scholar shall receive a higher education scholarship that exempts the scholar from all tuition and fees, including segregated fees, at the institution or district school for one year, except that the maximum scholarship for a scholar who receives an original scholarship for the 1996-97 academic year or for any academic year thereafter may not exceed $2,250 per academic year.

39.41(2)(b) (b) For each 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 institution or district school, and makes satisfactory progress toward an associate or a bachelor's degree, the student shall be exempt from all tuition and fees, including segregated fees, in the subsequent year, except that the maximum scholarship for a scholar who receives an original scholarship for the 1996-97 academic year or for any academic year thereafter may not exceed $2,250 per academic year. No scholar is eligible for an exemption for more than 4 years in the University of Wisconsin System or more than 3 years at a district school.

39.41(2)(c) (c) Subject to sub. (4), for each year the student is exempt from tuition and fees under par. (a) or (b), the board shall pay the institution or district school, on behalf of the student, an amount equal to 50% of the student's tuition and fees, except that the maximum payment for a student who receives an original scholarship for the 1996-97 academic year or for any academic year thereafter may not exceed $1,125 per academic year.