Senate Education Committee Amendment
S 125 - Session 125 (2023-2024)
Scholarship Stipend

The Committee on Education proposes the following amendment (SEDU-125.DB0002S):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, by striking Section 59-149-15(B) and inserting:

(B) The Commission on Higher Education by regulation shall define what constitutes a science or mathematics major but at a minimum shall include majors in science or mathematics disciplines, computer science or informational technology, engineering, science education, math education, and health care and related disciplines including medicine and dentistry; provided, that nothing herein prevents a student from changing majors within acceptable science or mathematics disciplines. The Commission on Higher Education shall by regulation define what constitutes an education major and shall set forth eligibility criteria that the student must meet to receive a LIFE Scholarship stipend but must include a contractual requirement, including a default provision, that the education student recipient must upon graduation work in a South Carolina public school for one year for every year the stipend is received. Additionally, the Commission on Higher Education annually shall communicate with high school guidance counselors regarding the list of qualifying majors.

Amend the bill further, SECTION 2, by striking Section 59-104-25(B) and inserting:

(B) The Commission on Higher Education by regulation shall define what constitutes a science or mathematics major but at a minimum shall include majors in science or mathematics disciplines, computer science or informational technology, engineering, science education, math education, and health care and related disciplines including medicine and dentistry; provided, that nothing herein prevents a student from changing majors within acceptable science or mathematics disciplines. The Commission on Higher Education shall by regulation define what constitutes an education major and shall set forth eligibility criteria that the student must meet to receive a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship stipend but must include a contractual requirement, including a default provision, that the education student recipient must upon graduation work in a South Carolina public school for one year for every year the stipend is received. Additionally, the Commission on Higher Education annually shall communicate with high school guidance counselors regarding the list of qualifying majors.