HB 97: Hathaway Scholarship Eligibility
2007 General Session

Sponsor: Joint Education Interim Committee

HB 97 defined the success curriculum that will be required for high school students to qualify for Hathaway student scholarships for college. The specified curriculum will be applied to students graduating from high school during the 2010-2011 school year, and will be phased in for students graduating before 2010.

This bill turned out to be one of the most hotly debated topics of the 2007 session. The House and Senate had quite different visions for how the success curriculum should be structured, and a conference committee ultimately worked out the final compromise. As finally adopted by both chambers, the success curriculum will be defined at four levels, with different scholarships available for the different levels. To qualify for the top level (called the honors scholarship), which will offer $1,600 per semester for four years, students must have a GPA of 3.5, must score 25 on ACT tests, must complete four years each of math, language arts and science, must complete three years of social studies, and must complete two years of a foreign language.

The second level (the performance scholarship) offers $1,200 per semester for four years and requires a GPA of 3.0, an ACT score of 21, and the same number of years in the different subject areas as the top tier.

Level three (the opportunity scholarship) will provide $800 per semester for four years. This level requires a GPA of 2.5 and an ACT score of 19, and the same number of math, language arts, science, and social studies as honors and performance levels. Instead of two years of a foreign language, opportunity scholars must meet statewide proficiency standards in foreign language and culture.

Level four (the career scholarship) will offer $800 per semester to students who have a GPA of 2.5 and an ACT score of 17 or a Work Keys score of 12, and who meet the same other requirements to qualify for level three, the opportunity scholarship.

In this form, the bill was accepted by both the House and the Senate and signed by the governor. It is very difficult to characterize the votes on this bill, because the version of the bill passed by the House was very different than the version passed by the Senate, and both chambers’ votes on the final compromise bill were not recorded. For this reason, no votes are published here.

ENROLLED HB 97: HEA 0125