Montana Legislators will hear a bill Monday that would create scholarships for students going to college for science, technology, engineering, math or health care. House Bill 617 would give a $1,000 scholarship for in-state college students’ first year, doubling it for the second. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Representative Steve Lavin, says it would give more opportunities.
“There’s a lot of scholarships out there, but they’re pretty limited in how many are given out, and I wanted a wide-based scholarship fund.”
That money would go to all students meeting certain requirements including getting a 3.25 high school GPA, taking college prep, and being a Montana graduate going to a Montana school the year after graduation.
Some may oppose the merit-based part of the bill, but Lavin says he wants hard-working kids to get the most help.
State lottery money would fund the scholarships, though Lavin says it may not give full scholarships until the scholarship fund makes enough income.