§ 116‑209.33. Scholarship Loan Fund forProspective Teachers.
(a) There is established a revolving fund known as the"Scholarship Loan Fund for Prospective Teachers". The purpose of theFund is to provide scholarship loans to qualified individuals who are pursuingcollege degrees to become teachers. The State Education Assistance Authorityshall administer the Fund.
(b) The State Education Assistance Authority, in consultationwith the State Board of Education, shall develop criteria for awardingscholarship loans from the Fund. These criteria shall include:
(1) Measures of academic performance including grade pointaverages, scores on standardized tests, class rank, and recommendations ofguidance counselors and principals.
(2) North Carolina residency. For purposes of this section,residency shall be determined by the same standard as residency for tuitionpurposes pursuant to G.S. 116‑143.1.
(3) The geographic areas or subjects of instruction in which thedemand for teachers is greatest.
(4) To the extent practical, an equal number of scholarshipsshall be awarded in each of the State's Congressional Districts.
(5) Any additional criteria that the State Education AssistanceAuthority considers necessary to administer the Fund effectively, including thefollowing:
a. Consideration of the appropriate numbers of minorityapplicants and applicants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to receivescholarships pursuant to this section.
b. Consideration of the commitment an individual applying toreceive funds demonstrates to the profession of teaching.
(c) The State Education Assistance Authority may earmark eachyear up to twenty percent (20%) of the funds available for scholarship loansunder this section for awards to applicants for the Teacher Assistant ScholarshipFund established in G.S. 116‑209.35. (1957, c. 1237; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1034, s. 10.1; 1987, c.738, s. 198(b); 1993, c. 260, s. 1; 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 18, s. 18.10; 1997‑506,s. 40; 2005‑276, ss. 9.17(b), 9.17(c).)