00SENATE BILL NO. 167                                                                                                   
01 "An Act relating to scholarships to attend the University of Alaska; establishing                                       
02 the Alaska scholars program; and 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 Alaska school districts to provide                                
08 a high quality education, and to encourage the highest achieving Alaska high school                                     
09 graduates to attend and graduate from the University of Alaska, thus increasing the                                     
10 likelihood that these students will make Alaska 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. 2.  AS 14.43 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                    

01  Sec. 14.43.016.  Scholarship eligibility.  (a)  To be eligible to apply for a                                       
02 scholarship from the Alaska scholars program, the student must                                                          
03   (1)  be a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for                                                    
04 permanent residence in the United States; and                                                                           
05   (2)  meet one of the following achievement standards, as determined by                                               
06 each qualified high school in this state, at the end of the student's junior year:                                      
07   (A)  for a junior class of 30 or more students, be in the top 10                                                    
08 percent of the class;                                                                                                   
09   (B)  for a junior class of 15 - 29 students, be one of the top two                                                  
10 students;                                                                                                               
11   (C)  for a junior class of fewer than 15 students, be the top                                                       
12 student;                                                                                                                
13  (b)  A student who does not meet the requirements of (a) of this section, but                                         
14 graduates in the top 10 percent of the student's graduating class, may apply to the                                     
15 University of Alaska for a scholarship under the university's regulations and                                           
16 procedures.                                                                                                             
17  (c)  To receive a scholarship disbursement from the Alaska scholars program,                                          
18 the student must                                                                                                        
19   (1)  have a high school diploma from the qualified high school in this                                               
20 state that determined the student's eligibility;                                                                        
21   (2)  by the fall semester that begins within 16 months following the                                                 
22 student's high school graduation, be accepted into a certificate or degree program of                                   
23 the University of Alaska; and                                                                                           
24   (3)  be enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Alaska.                                                 
25  (d)  To maintain eligibility for a scholarship disbursement under AS 14.43.021,                                       
26 the student must                                                                                                        
27   (1)  each semester, successfully complete University of Alaska courses                                               
28 totaling at least 12 credit hours;                                                                                      
29   (2)  be in good standing in accordance with University of Alaska                                                     
30 institutional and program standards; and                                                                                
31   (3)  be making progress toward completion of a certificate or degree                                                 

01 program.                                                                                                                
02    * Sec. 3.  AS 14.43 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                    
03  Sec. 14.43.021.  Scholarship award.  Subject to appropriation, the president                                        
04 of the University of Alaska shall award to an eligible student under the Alaska scholars                                
05 program a scholarship each semester.  Disbursements under this section may not be                                       
06 made for more than eight semesters or for enrollment commencing more than six years                                     
07 after initial enrollment at the University of Alaska.                                                                   
08  (b)  The award may be used only for tuition, fees, room, board, books, supplies,                                      
09 necessary transportation, and other costs incurred for attendance at the University of                                  
10 Alaska.                                                                                                                 
11  (c)  The Board of Regents shall determine the amount of the scholarship award                                         
12 and may adjust the amount and disbursement to reflect changes in the average cost of                                    
13 education.                                                                                                              
14    * Sec. 4.  AS 14.43 is amended by adding new sections to read:                                                     
15  Sec. 14.43.031.  Financing; administration.  (a)  The Alaska scholars program                                       
16 is financed from a fund, known as the Alaska scholars fund, administered by the Board                                   
17 of Regents.  The fund consists of appropriations from the general fund, university                                      
18 receipts, and income and earnings of the fund.  Appropriations to the fund do not                                       
19 lapse.  The fund may be used only to finance the Alaska scholars program.                                               
20  (b)  The Board of Regents shall make information about the scholarship                                                
21 program available in each school district in the state and at each campus of the                                        
22 University of Alaska.                                                                                                   
23  (c)  By September 15 before each annual graduation, a qualified high school                                           
24 in the state with a high school graduating class shall provide                                                          
25   (1)  to the Board of Regents a list of the names and addresses of                                                    
26 students in the graduating class who met the eligibility requirements of                                                
27 AS 14.43.016(a); and                                                                                                    
28   (2)  a notice of eligibility for the scholarship program to those students                                           
29 on the list prepared under (1) of this subsection.                                                                      
30  (d)  The Board of Regents may adopt regulations, orders, and plans to                                                 
31 implement AS 14.43.011 - 14.43.049.                                                                                     

01  Sec. 14.43.049.  Definitions.  In AS 14.43.011 - 14.43.049,                                                       
02   (1)  "Board of Regents" means the Board of Regents of the University                                                 
03 of Alaska;                                                                                                              
04   (2)  "qualified high school" means a public high school, a high school                                               
05 accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, or a high school                                       
06 registered with the department;                                                                                         
07   (3)  "scholarship program" means the Alaska scholars program.                                                        
08    * Sec. 5.  AS 14.43.010, 14.43.015, 14.43.020, 14.43.025, 14.43.030, 14.43.050, 14.43.055,                         
09 14.43.060, 14.43.065, and 14.43.075 are repealed.                                                                       
10    * Sec. 6.  APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to students who were in their senior year                              
11 of high school in the 1998 - 1999 or a subsequent school year.                                                          
12     * Sec. 7.  TRANSITION PROVISION.  Notwithstanding the deadline in AS 14.43.031(c),                                
13 enacted by sec. 4 of this Act, a qualified high school in the state with a high school graduating                       
14 class for the 1998 - 1999 school year shall provide the list and notice specified in                                    
15 AS 14.43.031(c)(1) and (2), enacted by sec. 4 of this Act, not later than 30 days after the                             
16 effective date of this Act.                                                                                             
17    * Sec. 8.  REVISOR'S CHANGE.  The revisor of statutes is requested to change the                                   
18 heading of art. 1 of AS 14.43 from "Article 1. University of Alaska Scholarships for High                               
19 School Graduates" to "Article 1. Alaska Scholars Program."                                                              
20    * Sec. 9.  This Act takes effect July 1, 1999.