Life support for scholarships OK’d

Friday, June 3, 2005 | 11:15 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Changes to the cash-strapped Millennium Scholarship program -- intended to keep it alive for future students -- now heads to the full Senate for a vote.

The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday approved Assembly Bill 560, which would raise the minimum grade point average and limit the amount of money students get each semester.

Under the new legislation, a college freshman would need only a 2.6 average to keep the scholarship, the current minimum for all students, but the Finance Committee decided to increase the requirement each year after that.

A sophomore would have to have a minimum of 2.75, and in the final two years, students would have to score a 3.0 average per semester to continue getting the scholarship.

State Treasurer Brian Krolicki told the Finance Committee that about 10 percent of the students would fail to meet the 2.75 grade point average and would lose the scholarship, but Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, said he doubted anyone would lose the money.

"We would just be getting the slackers to work harder," Coffin said.

Although most students attending universities take 15 credits a semester, the committee decided to reimburse them for just 12 credits at $80 per credit per semester. Starting next semester, the university fee will be $101 per credit.

The committee debated at length to change the requirement for getting a scholarship, but the committee did not take action. However the committee agreed that a must spend three years instead of two years going to a Nevada high school.

It agreed to require students enrolling to give their Social Security numbers, aimed at stopping illegal aliens or others from collecting the scholarship money.

The bill passed by the Assembly switched the program out of the treasurer's off and put it under the state Department of Administration, but the Senate committee decided to leave it with Krolicki.

The scholarship program has been financed by money from the tobacco settlement,but those funds are decreasing. AB 560 would put a one-shot $35 million in state funds and $7.6 million a year in unclaimed property money to shore of the finances.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said the bill is aimed at saving the six-year old program for future students.

The bill goes to the floor of the Senate now and if passed, returns to the Assembly for agreement on the amendments made by the Finance Committee.