HB 410: "An Act relating to scholarships to attend the University of Alaska; and providing for an effective date."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 410 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, for school districts to provide a high quality of 08 education, and for the highest achieving Alaska high school graduates to choose to 09 attend and remain in academic good standing at the University of Alaska. 10 Sec. 14.43.013. Creation of the Alaska Scholars Program. There is created 11 the Alaska Scholars Program. The scholarship program is administered by the board 12 of regents of the University of Alaska. 13 Sec. 14.43.016. Scholarship eligibility. (a) To be eligible for a scholarship 14 from the Alaska Scholars Program, the student must
01 (1) be a high school graduate from a public or accredited school in this 02 state during the 1998-1999 school year or in a following school year; 03 (2) meet one of the following achievement standards: 04 (A) for a high school graduating class of 30 or more students, 05 be in the top 10 percent of the applicant's graduating class; 06 (B) for a high school graduating class of 15 - 29 students, be 07 one of the top two graduates; 08 (C) for a high school graduating class of less than 15 students, 09 be the top graduate; and 10 (3) within 16 months after high school graduation be enrolled in a 11 certificate or degree program of the University of Alaska. 12 (b) To maintain eligibility for a scholarship awarded under (a) of this section, 13 the student must 14 (1) successfully complete, each semester, University of Alaska courses 15 totaling at least 12 credit hours; 16 (2) be in academic good standing in accordance with University of 17 Alaska requirements; and 18 (3) be making progress toward completion of a certificate or degree 19 program. 20 (c) A student is not eligible for a scholarship or to receive a disbursement 21 under AS 14.43.021 unless the student meets the applicable requirements of this 22 section. 23 (d) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, a student may continue in the 24 scholarship program for one semester immediately after the student fails to meet the 25 requirements of (b)(1) - (3) of this section. If the student is not in compliance with 26 those requirements by the end of that semester, the student is no longer eligible for a 27 scholarship or a disbursement from a scholarship under the program. 28 (e) A student may not receive scholarships under this section for more than 29 four, or the equivalent of four, academic years. 30 Sec. 14.43.021. Scholarship award. Subject to appropriation, the board of 31 regents shall award to an eligible student a scholarship of $2,700 for the first academic
01 year commencing after July 1, 1999. For each subsequent academic year, the board 02 of regents shall adjust the amount of the scholarship based on the increase or decrease 03 in average tuition and fee costs. One-half of the scholarship shall be disbursed at the 04 beginning of the fall semester and the other half shall be disbursed at the beginning 05 of the spring semester. 06 Sec. 14.43.031. Financing; administration. (a) The Alaska Scholars 07 Program shall be financed from a fund administered by the board of regents. The fund 08 consists of appropriations by the legislature, gifts, bequests, contributions, and, subject 09 to appropriation, income and earnings of the fund. Appropriations to the fund do not 10 lapse. The fund may be used only to finance the Alaska Scholars Program. 11 (b) The board of regents shall make information about the scholarship program 12 available in each school district in the state and at each campus of the University of 13 Alaska. 14 (c) Each public or accredited school in the state with a high school graduating 15 class shall provide to 16 (1) the board of regents a list of the students in that class who meet the 17 eligibility requirements of AS 14.43.016(a)(1) and (2); and 18 (2) those students on the list under (1) of this subsection a notice of 19 their eligibility for the scholarship program. 20 (d) The board of regents may adopt rules, orders, and plans to implement 21 AS 14.43.011 - 14.43.049. 22 Sec. 14.43.049. Definitions. In AS 14.43.011 - 14.43.049, 23 (1) "board of regents" means the board of regents of the University of 24 Alaska; 25 (2) "scholarship" means a scholarship financed through the Alaska 26 Scholars Program; 27 (3) "scholarship program" means the Alaska Scholars Program. 28 * Sec. 2. AS 14.43.010, 14.43.015, 14.43.020, 14.43.025, 14.43.030, 14.43.050, 14.43.055, 29 14.43.060, 14.43.065, and 14.43.075 are repealed. 30 * Sec. 3. REVISOR'S CHANGES. The revisor of statutes is requested to change the 31 heading of art. 1 of AS 14.43 from "Article 1. University of Alaska Scholarships for High
01 School Graduates" to "Article 1. Alaska Scholars Program." 02 * Sec. 4. This Act takes effect July 1, 1998.