SB 127: "An Act relating to scholarships to attend the University of Alaska; and providing for an effective date."
00SENATE BILL NO. 127 01 "An Act relating to scholarships to attend the University of Alaska; and 02 providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.43 is amended by adding new sections to read: 05 Sec. 14.43.011. Purpose. The purpose of AS 14.43.013 - 14.43.049 is to 06 establish the Alaska Scholars Program to provide incentives for Alaska high school 07 students to achieve excellence; to nourish efforts of school districts to provide a high 08 quality education; and for the highest achieving Alaska high school graduates to attend 09 and graduate from the University of Alaska, thus increasing the likelihood that these 10 students will make this state their permanent home. 11 Sec. 14.43.013. Creation of the Alaska Scholars Program. There is created 12 the Alaska Scholars Program. The scholarship program is administered by the board 13 of regents of the University of Alaska. 14 Sec. 14.43.016. Scholarship eligibility. (a) To be eligible to apply for a
01 scholarship from the Alaska Scholars Program, the student must 02 (1) be a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for 03 permanent residence in the United States; and 04 (2) meet one of the following achievement standards as determined by 05 each public or accredited school in this state, at the end of the student's junior year: 06 (A) for a junior class of 30 or more students, be in the top 10 07 percent of the class; 08 (B) for a junior class of 15 - 29 students, be one of the top two 09 students; 10 (C) for a junior class of less than 15 students, be the top 11 student; 12 (b) A student who does not meet the requirements of (a) of this section, but 13 graduates in the top 10 percent of the student's graduating class, may apply to the 14 University of Alaska for a scholarship under its rules and procedures. 15 (c) To receive a scholarship disbursement from the Alaska Scholars Program, 16 the student must 17 (1) have a high school diploma from a public or accredited high school 18 in this state; 19 (2) by the fall semester that begins within 16 months following the 20 student's high school graduation, be accepted into a certificate or degree program of 21 the University of Alaska; and 22 (3) be enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Alaska. 23 (d) To maintain eligibility for a scholarship disbursement under AS 14.43.021, 24 the student must 25 (1) successfully complete, each semester, University of Alaska courses 26 totaling at least 12 credit hours; 27 (2) be in good standing in accordance with University of Alaska 28 institutional and program standards; and 29 (3) be making progress toward completion of a certificate or degree 30 program. 31 Sec. 14.43.021. Scholarship award. Subject to appropriation, the president
01 of the University of Alaska shall award to an eligible student under the Alaska 02 Scholars Program a scholarship of $10,800, to be disbursed in the amount of $1,350 03 per semester. Disbursements under this section may not be made for more than eight 04 semesters or for enrollment commencing more than six years after initial enrollment 05 at the University of Alaska. 06 (b) The award may be used only for tuition, fees, room, board, books, supplies, 07 necessary transportation, and other costs incurred for attendance at the University of 08 Alaska. 09 (c) The board of regents may adjust the amount of the scholarship award and 10 disbursement to reflect changes in the average cost of education. 11 Sec. 14.43.031. Financing; administration. (a) The Alaska Scholars 12 Program is financed from a fund administered by the board of regents. The fund 13 consists of appropriations from the general fund, university receipts, and income and 14 earnings of the fund. Appropriations to the fund do not lapse. The fund may be used 15 only to finance the Alaska Scholars Program. 16 (b) The board of regents shall make information about the scholarship program 17 available in each school district in the state and at each campus of the University of 18 Alaska. 19 (c) At least six months before each graduation, a public or accredited school 20 in the state with a high school graduating class shall provide to 21 (1) the board of regents a list of the names and addresses of students 22 in the graduating class who met the eligibility requirements of AS 14.43.016(a); and 23 (2) those students on the list under (1) of this subsection a notice of 24 their eligibility for the scholarship program. 25 (d) The board of regents may adopt rules, orders, and plans to implement 26 AS 14.43.011 - 14.43.049. 27 Sec. 14.43.049. Definitions. In AS 14.43.011 - 14.43.049, 28 (1) "accredited" means a school that has been accredited by the 29 Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges; 30 (2) "board of regents" means the board of regents of the University of 31 Alaska;
01 (3) "scholarship program" means the Alaska Scholars Program. 02 * Sec. 2. AS 14.43.010, 14.43.015, 14.43.020, 14.43.025, 14.43.030, 14.43.050, 14.43.055, 03 14.43.060, 14.43.065, and 14.43.075 are repealed. 04 * Sec. 3. REVISOR'S CHANGE. The revisor of statutes is requested to change the 05 heading of art. 1 of AS 14.43 from "Article 1. University of Alaska Scholarships for High 06 School Graduates" to "Article 1. Alaska Scholars Program." 07 * Sec. 4. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to students who were in their senior year 08 of high school in the 1998-1999 or a subsequent school year. 09 * Sec. 5. TRANSITION PROVISION. Notwithstanding the deadline in AS 14.43.031(c), 10 enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, a public or accredited school in the state with a high school 11 graduating class for the 1998-1999 school year shall provide the list and notice specified in 12 AS 14.43.031(c)(1) and (2), enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, no later than 30 days after the 13 effective date of this Act. 14 * Sec. 6. This Act takes effect July 1, 1999.