An Act To Provide Equitable Access to Postsecondary Courses
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4772-B is enacted to read:
§ 4772-B. Alternative enrollment in postsecondary courses
1. Definition. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, "student" means a student enrolled in a private school approved for tuition purposes or a private school or a student who participates in an equivalent instruction program under chapter 211.
2. Requirements. A student may be eligible to receive a state subsidy for postsecondary courses, as specified in section 4775, if:
A. The eligible institution has space available for the student;
B. Unless granted a waiver by the eligible institution, the student is maintaining a minimum secondary school grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0, or the equivalent of a "B" average, as determined by the school or as documented by an assessment of the student's academic progress in accordance with the provisions of section 5001-A, subsection 3, paragraph A, subparagraph (4);
C. The eligible institution has determined that the student has satisfactorily completed all course prerequisites;
D. The school or the local advisory board for the student, as provided in section 5001-A, subsection 3, paragraph A, subparagraph (4), division (b), approves;
E. The student's parent approves; and
F. The student has received a recommendation to take a postsecondary course or courses at an eligible institution from the student's school administration or one of the student's secondary school teachers following an assessment of the student by the school administration or from the local advisory board for the student, as provided in section 5001-A, subsection 3, paragraph A, subparagraph (4), division (b).
summary
This bill authorizes students who are home-schooled and students at certain private schools to attend postsecondary courses under the same conditions as those set for students who attend public secondary schools and allows the postsecondary educational institutions to receive the state subsidy for those students.