It could soon become more difficult for students to get New Century Scholarships.

SB132 passed the House unanimously Tuesday, and now goes to the governor.

The bill would require that high school students who are hoping to obtain the scholarship maintain a 3.5 grade point average. The bill maintains the requirement that the students earn associate's degrees while in high school.

Also, the bill would push up the deadline for students to complete scholarship requirements. Home-schoolers would need to earn a 26 score on the ACT to earn the scholarship. The new GPA requirement would apply to students who graduate from high school beginning in 2011.

The bill was created to deal with soaring demand and less money. Lawmakers reached a deal with higher education leaders to find the money to keep the scholarships intact temporarily.

Lisa Schencker