Report Title:

Scholarships; Hawaiian Language; Teacher Education; Graduate Programs

Description:

Establishes scholarships for students studying Hawaiian language, and scholarships for Hawaiian speaking students or students who speak English as a second language for teacher education and graduate programs. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1398

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

Relating to Tuition Scholarships.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The State of Hawaii seeks to promote the study of the Hawaiian language. The State also seeks to support the needs of students from non-native English speaking backgrounds who are learning Hawaiian and English in its public schools.

The purpose of this Act is to establish three types of scholarships: for those students studying the Hawaiian language, for teacher education programs, and for graduate programs.

SECTION 2. Chapter 304, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding three new sections to read as follows:

"§304-   Hawaiian language study scholarships. There is established a scholarship for students studying the Hawaiian language. The specific qualifications for this scholarship are as follows:

(1) Full scholarships: students enrolled in any Hawaii public high school in which instruction is not less than three-fourths time through the medium of Hawaiian shall have a full scholarship during the regular and summer sessions of the University of Hawaii system while still in high school. Students shall also receive the full scholarship during the first summer and semester after their graduation from high school; and

(2) Full or partial scholarships: students who complete:

(A) Two years of Hawaiian language in a public high school;

(B) Three years of Hawaiian language at any college; or

(C) Four years in any high school, other than a Hawaii public high school,

may receive a full or partial scholarship for continued study of at least four credits in, or through, Hawaiian per semester, which may be renewed.

§304-   Tuition scholarships for teacher education. (a) Students who demonstrate appropriate fluency in Hawaiian or in a non-English language used in the delivery of education to disadvantaged immigrant children in Hawaii public, charter, or laboratory schools shall receive scholarships for:

(1) Teacher education in the University of Hawaii system, upon a written commitment to use their language backgrounds to teach in Hawaii public, charter, or laboratory schools for a period of time specified by the university; or

(2) Current teachers in Hawaii public, charter, or laboratory schools to pay for other studies that will strengthen their teaching of disadvantaged Hawaiian and immigrant students.

(b) The board of regents shall adopt procedures as may be necessary to implement this section.

§304-   Tuition scholarships for graduate programs. (a) Students who demonstrate appropriate fluency in Hawaiian or in a non-English language used in the delivery of education to disadvantaged immigrant children in Hawaii public, charter, or laboratory schools shall receive scholarships for:

(1) Graduate programs in the University of Hawaii system, upon a written commitment to use their language backgrounds to teach in Hawaii public, charter, or laboratory schools for a period of time specified by the university; or

(2) Current teachers in Hawaii public, charter, or laboratory schools to pay for other studies that will strengthen their teaching of disadvantaged Hawaiian and immigrant students.

(b) The board of regents shall adopt procedures as may be necessary to implement this section."

SECTION 3. The scholarships established by this Act shall be provided without discrimination based on race, sex, color, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin.

SECTION 4. The scholarships established by this Act may be predicated upon other requirements such as timely application for the scholarship, application for other scholarships, demonstration of fluency through testing, grades, economic status, community service, uniform standards for demonstrating proficiency, enrollment in areas of need, number of credits taken in an area or in the university, and other factors as determined by action of the board of regents or those designated by it for such purposes.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for the purpose of establishing three types of scholarships as specified in this Act.

SECTION 6. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 7. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.