§ 6-85-212 - Scholarship award amounts. - Arkansas Statutes

6-85-212. Scholarship award amounts.

(a) The General Assembly may use net proceeds from the state lottery to fund the scholarships awarded under this subchapter and to supplement the state-supported student financial assistance that the General Assembly determines is necessary to meet the state's objective for broadening and increasing access of Arkansas citizens to higher education.

(b) Net proceeds from the state lottery used to fund scholarships under this subchapter shall:

(1) Be used exclusively for the purposes set out in Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 87, and this subchapter; and

(2) Supplement and shall not supplant nonlottery state educational resources.

(c) It is the General Assembly's intent that before increasing award amounts for scholarships under this subchapter, the number of scholarships awarded to nontraditional students under 6-85-208 be increased.

(d) The scholarships established under this subchapter are subject to available funding and do not create for any student an entitlement to financial assistance to enable the student's attendance at an approved institution of higher education.

(e) (1) (A) The scholarship award amount under this subchapter for an academic year for a full-time recipient enrolled in a four-year approved institution of higher education is five thousand dollars ($5,000).

(B) (i) The Department of Higher Education shall award an aggregate amount of scholarship awards to current achiever students beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year of up to forty-one million five hundred thousand dollars ($41,500,000).

(ii) The department shall not accept new applications for scholarships under this subdivision (e)(1)(B) after June 1, 2012.

(C) After deducting the amount committed for current achiever student scholarships from the amount available under subdivision (e)(1)(B) of this section, the department shall use the balance to fund scholarships to nontraditional students under this subchapter.

(2) (A) The department shall award an aggregate amount of scholarship awards to nontraditional students beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year of twelve million dollars ($12,000,000), excluding any funding for nontraditional student scholarships under subdivision (e)(1)(C) of this section.

(B) (i) The department shall return to the Arkansas Lottery Commission the excess funding, if any, for scholarship awards the department received under 23-115-801.

(ii) The commission shall deposit any funds received from the department under this subdivision (e)(2)(B) into a trust account established under 23-115-801(b).

(C) Priority for scholarships awarded to nontraditional students and current achiever students is based on the applicant's level of progress toward completion of a certificate, an associate degree, nursing diploma, or a baccalaureate degree, or on other criteria established by the department.

(3) The scholarship award for a full-time student enrolled in a two-year approved institution of higher education is one-half (1/2) of the scholarship award amount for a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in a four-year approved institution of higher education.

(4) The scholarship award amount for a part-time student recipient shall be:

(A) One-half (1/2) of the award amount for a full-time student recipient, if the recipient is enrolled in at least six (6) semester hours but less than nine (9) semester hours; or

(B) Three-quarters (3/4) of the award amount for a full-time student recipient, if the recipient is enrolled in at least nine (9) semester hours but less than the number of hours required for a full-time student recipient;

(f) By November 1 of each year, the Arkansas Lottery Commission Legislative Oversight Committee shall provide to the General Assembly its recommendations for any changes to the:

(1) Award amounts;

(2) Number or type of scholarships; and

(3) Eligibility requirements.

(g) It is the intent of the General Assembly that in determining award amounts under this subchapter the General Assembly will consider whether sufficient funds will be available to pay for scholarship awards through the anticipated completion of the degree or certificate a recipient is seeking.

(h) All awards under this subchapter are subject to the prohibition under 6-80-105 against using public funds in a student financial package in excess of the recognized cost of attendance at the institution where the student is enrolled.

(i) (1) If the department has less than a sufficient amount from net proceeds from the state lottery to provide for the scholarship commitments under this subchapter, the department first shall use funds from any Scholarships and Grants Contingency Appropriation made to the department to fund the shortfall before requesting funds from the Scholarship Shortfall Reserve Trust Account under 23-115-802.

(2) The department then shall give priority for continued financial support under this subchapter to a recipient who has continuing eligibility superior to first-time applicants.

(3) If the funding is still insufficient to fully fund the scholarships created under this subchapter, the department shall award scholarships after considering applicants:

(A) With the highest level of progress toward completion of a certificate, an associate degree, or a baccalaureate degree;

(B) With the highest high school or postsecondary grade point average, as applicable to the applicant; and

(C) Who are enrolled in or intend to enroll in a program of study that is:

(i) In an area of critical workforce need as determined by the department; or

(ii) In a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field.

(j) When the General Assembly determines that there exist sufficient net lottery proceeds to fund students enrolling in certificate, associate degree, and baccalaureate degree programs, the department shall submit recommendations to the Arkansas Lottery Commission Legislative Oversight Committee for the award of scholarships and grants to certain graduate and professional programs at approved institutions of higher education.