[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 688 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 688

  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize Presidential 
 Honors Scholarships to be awarded to all students who graduate in the 
top five percent of their secondary school graduating class, to promote 
 and recognize high academic achievement in secondary school, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 1, 1997

 Mr. Biden (by request) introduced the following bill; which was read 
    twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize Presidential 
 Honors Scholarships to be awarded to all students who graduate in the 
top five percent of their secondary school graduating class, to promote 
 and recognize high academic achievement in secondary school, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Presidential Honors Scholarship Act 
of 1997''.

SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL HONORS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by amending the heading for subpart 7 to read as 
        follows:

        ``Subpart 7--Presidential Honors Scholarship Program'';

        and
            (2) by inserting immediately before subpart 8 (20 U.S.C. 
        1070f et seq.) the following:

``SEC. 420A. PRESIDENTIAL HONORS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this subpart to establish a 
Presidential Honors Scholarship program to encourage high academic 
achievement in public and private secondary schools and to recognize 
and reward the achievement of the outstanding graduates of such 
schools.
    ``(b) Program Authority.--The Secretary is authorized, in 
accordance with this subpart, to carry out a program of recognizing 
high academic achievement in public and private secondary schools by 
awarding scholarships to all students who graduate in the top five 
percent of their secondary school graduating class, and thereby 
encouraging students to excel in their secondary school studies and 
pursue postsecondary education.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $130,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the four succeeding fiscal years, to carry out 
this subpart. Funds appropriated pursuant to the authority of the 
preceding sentence shall remain available for obligation until the last 
day of the fourth fiscal year immediately succeeding the fiscal year 
for which such funds are appropriated.
    ``(d) Terms of Scholarships.--
            ``(1) Amount of scholarship.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The amount of a scholarship 
                awarded under this subpart shall be $1,000.
                    ``(B) Reduction.--Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), 
                if funds available in a fiscal year are insufficient to 
                fully fund all scholarships under this subpart for such 
                year, the amount paid to each student under this 
                subpart for such year shall be reduced proportionately.
                    ``(C) Special rules.--Notwithstanding any other 
                provision in this title, a scholarship awarded under 
                this subpart--
                            ``(i) shall not be counted in determining 
                        the student's need for grant, loan, or work 
                        assistance under this title; and
                            ``(ii) may, alone or in combination with 
                        other grant, loan, or work assistance received 
                        under this title, exceed the student's cost of 
                        attendance, as defined in section 472.
            ``(2) Period of scholarships.--A student who satisfies the 
        requirements of subsection (f) may receive a scholarship under 
        this subpart for a period of not more than one academic year of 
        postsecondary education or training on at least a half-time 
        basis, as determined by the institution.
            ``(3) Scholarship proceeds.--
                    ``(A) Use and availability.--Scholarship proceeds 
                shall be used for the scholarship recipient's first 
                year of postsecondary education or training, and shall 
                remain available for such use for not more than three 
                academic years following the student's graduation from 
                secondary school.
                    ``(B) Disbursal.--Scholarship proceeds shall be 
                disbursed on behalf of students who receive 
                scholarships under this subpart to the institutions of 
                higher education at which the students are enrolled. No 
                scholarship proceeds shall be disbursed on behalf of a 
                student until the student is enrolled at an institution 
                of higher education on at least a half-time basis, as 
                determined by such institution.
            ``(4) Use at any institution permitted.--A scholarship 
        awarded under this subpart may be used to attend any 
        institution of higher education, as defined in section 481.
    ``(e) Selection of Scholars.--
            ``(1) In general.--Scholarships under this subpart shall be 
        awarded to all students who rank in the top five percent of the 
        graduating class of each secondary school that participates in 
        the program under this subpart. Ranking procedures shall be 
        established by each such school, but may not include any 
        nonacademic or extracurricular factors.
            ``(2) Annual announcement of scholar- ships.--Each 
        participating secondary school shall announce the availability 
        of scholarships under this subpart, and its selection 
        procedures, to all students in the school, and their parents, 
        at the beginning of each academic year.
            ``(3) Records.--Each participating school shall maintain 
        records of its selection procedures, the names of the students 
        selected, and such other related information as the Secretary 
        may require.
    ``(f) Student Eligibility.--In order to receive a scholarship under 
this subpart, a student shall--
            ``(1) rank in the top five percent of the graduating class 
        at the secondary school that the student attends, as 
        established by such school in accordance with subsection (e); 
        and
            ``(2) meet the requirements of section 484.
    ``(g) Recognition of Scholarship Receipt.--
            ``(1) Designation of scholarship recipients.--Students 
        awarded scholarships under this subpart shall be known as 
        `Presidential Honors Scholars'.
            ``(2) Certificates; ceremonies.--The Secretary shall 
        provide each student awarded a scholarship under this subpart a 
        certificate from the President that indicates that the 
        recipient is a Presidential Honors Scholar. The certificate 
        shall be provided through the secondary school that selected 
        the student. The school may present the certificate in an 
        appropriate ceremony.
    ``(h) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall, from time to time, conduct 
an evaluation of the program authorized by this subpart.
    ``(i) Secretarial Authority.--In order to carry out the purposes of 
this subpart, the Secretary may, from time to time, establish policies, 
procedures, and requirements, set deadlines, and require 
information.''.
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