SB 130 Summary

• Establishes the "Early High School Graduation Scholarship Program" administered by the Department of Higher Education to provide scholarships to Missouri students who graduate early from public high schools.

• Creates two scholarship tracks: students graduating within 36 months receive scholarships for tuition and mandatory fees at public or private institutions of higher education; students graduating within 41 months receive scholarships for dual enrollment program fees.

• Scholarship amounts equal 90% of the school district's state aid payments divided by weighted average daily attendance for the year/semester preceding graduation, with 10% of that amount going to the school district as a grant.

• Eligible students must graduate from Missouri public high schools, attend public high schools for more than half their high school career, have parental approval, and be U.S. citizens or lawfully authorized residents; scholarships must be used within one year of graduation with exceptions for military or nonprofit service.

• Requires the Department of Higher Education to submit annual reports by June 30th listing scholarship recipients, time to graduation, and school districts; requires public high schools to inform students and parents about program requirements by January 31, 2012.