Senate Bill 67 sponsored by First District Senator Ken Winters passed the Senate today. If passed by the House, the bill will encourage early graduation for those students who are college capable and just sitting around their senior year. Students will have to score well on their ACT test and take at least 18 credit hours to be eligible.

A scholarship program equal to the money the state will save not funding the student’s final year will be set up. Winters told the Senate that no local money will be affected. He estimated the amount available to students who qualify to be around $2500. Winters also said that money from the scholarship program that is available to higher ed bound high school students will remain available. The amount will be reduced to whatever is generated in the three years college bound teens spend in high school.