164.769 Teacher scholarships for eligible persons agreeing to render qualified teaching service in Kentucky -- Cancellation or repayment of notes. - Kentucky Statutes

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Page 1 of 4 164.769 Teacher scholarships for eligible persons agreeing to render qualified teaching service in Kentucky -- Cancellation or repayment of notes. (1) It is the intent of the General Assembly to establish a teacher scholarship program to assist highly qualified individuals to become certified Kentucky teachers and render
teaching service in Kentucky schools. (2) For purposes of this section, the terms listed below shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Critical shortage area" means an understaffing of teachers in particular subject matters at the secondary level, in grade levels, or in geographic
locations at the elementary and secondary level, as determined by the
commissioner of education in consultation with the authority. The
commissioner and the authority may use any source considered reliable
including, but not limited to, local education agencies to identify the critical
shortage areas. (b) "Eligible program of study" means an undergraduate or graduate program of study which is preparatory to initial teacher certification. (c) "Expected family contribution" means the amount that a student and his family are expected to contribute toward the cost of the student's education
determined by applying methodology set forth in 20 U.S.C. sec. 1087 kk to
1087 vv. (d) "Participating institution" means an institution of higher education located in Kentucky which offers an eligible program of study and has in force an
agreement with the authority providing for administration of this program. (e) "Qualified teaching service" means teaching the major portion of each school day for at least seventy (70) days each semester in a public school of the
Commonwealth or a private school certified pursuant to KRS 156.160(3),
except that an individual having a disability defined by Title II of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. secs. 12131 et seq.), whose
disability, certified by a licensed physician, prevents that individual from
teaching a major portion of each school day, shall be deemed to perform
qualified teaching service by teaching the maximum time permitted by the
attending physician. (f) "Semester" means a period of about eighteen (18) weeks, which usually makes up one-half (1/2) of a school year or one-half (1/2) of a participating
institution's academic year. (g) "Summer term" means an academic period consisting of one (1) or more sessions of instruction between a spring and a fall semester. (3) The authority may, to the extent of appropriations and other funds available to it pursuant to subsection (9) of this section, award teacher scholarships to persons
eligible under subsection (4) of this section, who initially demonstrate financial
need in accordance with standards and criteria established by the authority or
received teacher scholarships pursuant to this section prior to July 1, 1996. Each Page 2 of 4 teacher scholarship shall be evidenced by a promissory note that requires repayment
or cancellation pursuant to subsection (6) of this section. (4) Kentucky residents who are United States citizens and enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program of study on a full-time basis at a participating
institution shall be eligible to apply for and be awarded teacher scholarships.
Teacher scholarships shall first be awarded to highly qualified eligible students who
meet standards and requirements established by the Education Professional
Standards Board pursuant to KRS 161.028 for admission to a teacher education
program at a participating institution or who received teacher scholarships pursuant
to this section prior to July 1, 1996. If funds are not depleted after awarding teacher
scholarships to students who meet the preceding criteria, then awards shall be made
to any otherwise eligible students seeking admission to a teacher education
program. (5) The authority shall establish, by administrative regulation, the maximum amount of scholarship to be awarded for each semester and summer term under this section,
and shall prorate the amount awarded to any student enrolled less than full-time in
accordance with paragraph (6)(a) of this section. The aggregate amount of
scholarships awarded to an individual shall not exceed twelve thousand five
hundred dollars ($12,500) for undergraduate students and seven thousand five
hundred dollars ($7,500) for postbaccalaureate students, except that the aggregate
amount of scholarships awarded to an individual who received teacher scholarships
pursuant to this section prior to July 1, 1996, including any amount received
pursuant to KRS 156.611, 156.613, 164.768, or 164.770, shall not exceed twenty
thousand dollars ($20,000), and the amount of each scholarship to be awarded shall
not exceed the applicant's total cost of education minus other financial assistance
received or expected to be received by the applicant during the academic period. (6) (a) The authority shall disburse teacher scholarships to eligible students who agree to render qualified teaching service as certified teachers, and are
unconditionally admitted and enrolled in an eligible program of study on a
full-time basis, except that disbursements may be made to otherwise eligible
students enrolled less than full-time in the semester or summer term in which
the eligible program of study will be completed or otherwise eligible students
having a disability defined by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(42 U.S.C. secs. 12131 et seq.), who have been certified by a licensed
physician to be unable to attend the eligible program of study full-time
because of the disability. Teacher scholarships shall be disbursed to eligible
students who received teacher scholarships pursuant to this section for
recertification in a critical shortage area prior to July 1, 1996, who are enrolled
in and continuing toward completion of their program of study, and who agree
to render qualified teaching service as certified teachers. (b) A teacher scholarship shall not be awarded or a promissory note cancellation shall not be granted to any person who is in default on any obligation to the
authority under any program administered by the authority pursuant to KRS
164.740 to 164.785 until financial obligations to the authority are satisfied, Page 3 of 4 except that ineligibility for this reason may be waived by the authority for
cause. (c) Recipients shall render one (1) semester of qualified teaching service for each semester or summer term of scholarship received, except that recipients who
teach in a critical shortage area designated by the authority shall render one (1)
semester of qualified teaching service as repayment for two (2) semesters or
summer terms of scholarships received. Upon completion of each semester of
qualified teacher service, the authority shall cancel the appropriate number of
promissory notes. (d) If the recipient of a teacher scholarship fails to complete an eligible program of study at a participating institution or fails to render qualified teaching
service in any semester following certification or recertification, unless the
failure is temporarily waived for cause by the authority, the recipient shall
immediately become liable to the authority for repayment of the sum of all
outstanding promissory notes and accrued interest. Persons liable for
repayment of scholarships under this paragraph shall be liable for interest
accruing from the dates on which the teacher scholarships were disbursed. (e) Recipients who have outstanding loans or scholarships under KRS 156.611, 156.613, 164.768, or 164.770 respectively, and who render qualified teaching
service, shall have their notes canceled in accordance with subsection (6)(c) of
this section. (f) The authority shall establish, by administrative regulation, the terms and conditions for the award, cancellation, and repayment of teacher scholarships
including, but not limited to, the selection criteria, eligibility for renewal
awards, amount of scholarship payments, deferments, the rate of repayment,
and the interest rate thereon. (g) Notwithstanding any other statute to the contrary, the maximum interest rate applicable to repayment of a promissory note under this section shall be
twelve percent (12%) per annum, except that if a judgment is rendered to
recover payment, the judgment shall bear interest at the rate of five percent
(5%) greater than the rate actually charged on the promissory note. (7) A repayment obligation imposed by this section shall not be voidable by reason of the age of the recipient at the time of receiving the teacher scholarship. (8) Failure to meet repayment obligations imposed by this section shall be cause for the revocation of a person's teaching certificate, subject to the procedures set forth in
KRS 161.120. (9) All moneys repaid to the authority under this section shall be added to the appropriations made for purposes of this section, and the funds and unobligated
appropriations shall not lapse. (10) The authority may execute appropriate contracts and promissory notes for administering this section. (11) Notwithstanding any other statute to the contrary, if available funds are insufficient for all requested scholarships for eligible applicants during any fiscal year, the Page 4 of 4 authority shall give priority consideration to eligible applicants who previously
received teacher scholarships and to loan forgiveness for teachers who have
outstanding loan balance eligibility for Best in Class loans issued prior to June 30,
2008. If funds are insufficient to make all requested renewal scholarships to eligible
applicants, the authority shall reduce all scholarship awards to the extent necessary
to provide scholarships to all qualified renewal applicants. If, after awarding all
eligible renewal applicants, funds are not depleted, initial applications shall be
ranked according to regulatory selection criteria, which may include expected
family contribution and application date, and awards shall be made to highly
qualified applicants until funds are depleted. Effective: March 24, 2009
History: Amended 2009 Ky. Acts ch. 93, sec. 1, effective March 24, 2009. -- Amended 2003 Ky. Acts ch. 115, sec. 2, effective June 24, 2003. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts
ch. 111, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 125, sec. 1,
effective July 15, 1996. -- Created 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 163, sec. 1, effective July 15,
1994.