CHAPTER 461
FORMERLY
HOUSE BILL NO. 545
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE :
Section 1. Amend the descriptive title of Subchapter I, Chapter 34, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by striking the descriptive title in its entirety and by substituting in lieu thereof the following:
"Subchapter I. Scholarship Incentive Program; Legislative Essay Scholarship Fund.".
Section 2. Amend Chapter 34, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by adding thereto a new section to read:
"§3406. Legislative Essay Scholarship Fund.
(a) The purpose of the Legislative Essay Scholarship Fund is to award annually a $500.00 nonrenewable scholarship to a 12th-grade student-resident from each senatorial and representative district in the State whose essay meets the standards established by the Delaware Higher Education Commission (Commission) and to award nonrenewable scholarships of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,500 to the writers of the top 3 district essays. A student who applies for a legislative essay scholarship must be enrolled in a public, private, or charter school or be enrolled in a home school program.
(b) An applicant for a legislative essay scholarship shall submit an original essay of between 500 and 2,000 words on a topic that is chosen each year by a committee that consists of one member designated by the Executive Director of the Delaware Higher Education Commission, one member designated by the president of the Delaware Society Sons of the American Revolution, and one member designated by the regent of the Delaware State Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The topic of the essay must relate to:
(1) events, persons, philosophies, technologies, governments, or ideals in American history;
(2) the approximate 90-year period from 1770 to 1860, including events leading up to the American Revolutionary War, but excluding the Civil War; and
(3) a positive approach to the overall theme of 'Building the Foundations of the Modern United States of America.'
(c) The Commission shall administer the Legislative Essay Scholarship Fund and may adopt rules and regulations as it deems necessary and reasonable to administer the fund and to carry out the purpose of this section. The rules and regulations must contain criteria for the selection of scholarship recipients. The Commission shall encourage members of historical organizations, such as the Sons of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution, to participate in judging the student essays.
(d) The Commission shall announce the recipients of the Legislative Essay Scholarships on or before February 15th of each year.".
Section 3. Scholarship funds disbursed under this Act may be disbursed only to the postsecondary institution in which a recipient is enrolled and must be used by a recipient on or before December 31 of the third calendar year following the year that the scholarship is awarded.
Section 4. The Commission shall report annually to the General Assembly the names of the scholarship recipients, the scholarship amount received by each recipient, the postsecondary institution where the scholarship was sent, and such other information as the Commission deems useful to the members of the General Assembly.
Section 5. This Act becomes effective upon the specific appropriation of funds for the Legislative Essay Scholarship Fund in the Annual Appropriations Act.