AwardYear: 1995-1996 EnterChapterNo: 9 EnterChapterTitle: State Grant Programs SectionNumber: SectionTitle: Introduction PageNumbers: 1-2 This chapter covers the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) Program, the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program (Byrd Program), the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program (Douglas Program), and the National Early Intervention Scholarship and Partnership (NEISP) Program. The SSIG, Byrd and NEISP Programs are authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); the Douglas Program is authorized under Title V of the HEA. [[How the programs are funded]] Students apply for financial assistance from these four programs through the appropriate educational assistance agency in their states. Under the SSIG Program, the Secretary of Education provides funds to states to establish a state grant program to provide assistance to students who demonstrate substantial financial need, and each state matches the Federal funds on at least a 50-50 ratio. Under the Byrd Program, the Secretary makes grants to states to enable those states to award scholarships to high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and who show promise of continued academic achievement. Under the Douglas Program, the Secretary makes grants to states to enable those states to award scholarships to outstanding individuals who demonstrate an interest in teaching at the preschool, elementary, or secondary levels. Under the NEISP Program the Secretary provides grants to states to encourage the states to provide early intervention and scholarship assistance to encourage students to obtain high school diplomas and to pursue higher education. [[State agency listing]] Students who have any questions on eligibility and award procedures for any of these programs should be directed to the appropriate state agency that administers the program in that student's state. (There is no individual state agency list for the NEISP Program. See page 39 of Section Four of this chapter for more information.) A complete list of these agencies is included in Section Five of this chapter. [[Recent legislative changes]] The NSSP Program has been repealed under Public Law 103-382, Improving America's Schools Act, which was signed by the President on October 20, 1994. In addition, at the time this Handbook went to print, funding for fiscal year 1995 was proposed for recision. Note, however, that fiscal year 1995 funding, if kept, would only be used for one year of continuing scholarships in 1995- 96. No new scholarships would be awarded. You should encourage any former NSSP recipients to pursue other types of federal and non-federal student assistance described in this Handbook, the Student Guide, or in the reference section of their school or local public libraries to replace any lost funding. |