5451.01 - STATE ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

School District of Winter

Bylaws & Policies

5451.01 - STATE ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

The State of Wisconsin has taken legislative action to provide scholarships to a top academic scholar as well as a senior who has the highest demonstrated level of proficiency in the technical education subjects. The Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) and the Wisconsin Technical Excellence Scholarship (TES) are selected annually.

By February 25th of each school year, the School Board will designate the appropriate number of senior(s) from the high school with the highest grade point average in all subjects as scholars eligible to receive the Academic Excellence Scholarship.

The following standards must be met to qualify for the Academic Excellence Scholarships (AIS). The student and alternates must:

	A.	be a resident of the United States who is either a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence;

	B.	be a Wisconsin resident as defined in 36.27 Wis. Stats.;

	C.	have achieved senior status and have been in attendance for five (5) consecutive semesters during their sophomore, junior, and first semester of his/her senior year;

	D.	must be selected based on the Grade Point Average (GPA) on the students official transcript as of the last day of the semester which ended just prior to February 25th.

The grade point average (GPA) computation will be in accord with School Board Policy 5430 - Class Rank. In selecting the scholarship recipient(s) for the Academic Excellence Scholarship, weighted grades for seven (7) semesters will be used to compute grade point averages. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are weighted on a 5.0 scale at Winter High School.

The designation of scholar will be awarded to the qualifying student with the highest grade point average. The scholar's GPA shall be computed to as many places past the decimal point as necessary to determine a distinction between the scholars.

In the event of a tie involving the GPAs:

	A.	the first tie breaker will be the ACT composite score;

		The scholar with the highest ACT composite score will be selected.

	B.	the second tie breaker will be the highest sub-score on the ACT Test.

		A principal will select in order (1) English, (2) mathematics, (3) reading or (4) science to determine the highest sub-score. The next tie breaker will be the second, third and fourth highest sub-scores in that order.

Except for the limitation on the number of designated scholars, the faculty of the high school shall select the applicable number of seniors for designation as scholars and shall certify, in order of priority, any remaining seniors with the same grade point average as alternates for the scholars or, if there is no remaining senior with the same grade point average, any remaining seniors with the next highest grade point average, but not less than 3.800 or the equivalent, as alternates for the scholars.

The Wisconsin Technical Excellence Scholarship (TES) recipient will be selected annually by February 25^th. The school board or its designee will notify the Higher Education Aids Board (HEAB) of the recipient. Eligible candidates compete for the scholarship by submitting a TES nomination form to the school board designee by February 1^st. To be eligible, a senior must have applied to a technical college within the Wisconsin Technical College system. Selection of eligible candidates will be determined using a point system.

Points toward earning the scholarship are earned as follows:

	=	One (1) point for each credit earned in high school in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course; one (1) additional point per credit for each ‘A’ earned in a CTE course. CTE courses are all those taught by a business, agriculture, technical education, family and consumer education teacher, as well as courses taught by a math or science teacher that are directly linked to technical college programs.

	=	One (1) point for completion of an industry-recognized certification or training program.

	=	If students emerge with tied scores, CTE grades will become the tie-breaker.

To be eligible for the AES or TES scholarship, the student must have attended the School District of Winter for a minimum of four (4) full semesters, one (1) of which must be the last semester.

For both the AES and the TES scholarship, if high school enrollment is under eighty (80) students, the Higher Education Aids Board (HEAB) shall review student nominations and designate ten (10) students from all of the under-eighty (80) schools statewide. Of these, the ten (10) students with the highest GPAs are to be designated recipients of the scholarships. HEAB will apply current AES policies to TES for ranking and tie-breaking.

39.41 Wis. Stats

Revised 11/13/06
Revised 5/16/11
Revised 12/15/14