173.250. Higher education academic scholarship program, board to administer--requirements, amounts--transfer, withdrawal, illness or disability of student.
Higher education academic scholarship program, board toadminister--requirements, amounts--transfer, withdrawal, illnessor disability of student.
173.250. 1. There is hereby established a "Higher Education AcademicScholarship Program" and any moneys appropriated by the general assemblyfor this program shall be used to provide scholarships for Missouricitizens to attend a Missouri college or university of their choicepursuant to the provisions of this section.
2. The definitions of terms set forth in section 173.205* shall beapplicable to such terms as used in this section. The term "academicscholarship" means an amount of money paid by the state of Missouri to aqualified college or university student who has demonstrated superioracademic achievement pursuant to the provisions of this section.
3. The coordinating board for higher education shall be theadministrative agency for the implementation of the program established bythis section, and shall:
(1) Promulgate reasonable rules and regulations for the exercise ofits functions and the effectuation of the purposes of this section,including regulations for granting scholarship deferments;
(2) Prescribe the form and the time and method of awarding academicscholarships, and shall supervise the processing thereof; and
(3) Select qualified recipients to receive academic scholarships,make such awards of academic scholarships to qualified recipients anddetermine the manner and method of payment to the recipient.
4. A student shall be eligible for initial or renewed academicscholarship if he or she is in compliance with the eligibility requirementsset forth in section 173.215* excluding the requirement of financial needand undergraduate status, and in addition meets the following requirements:
(1) Initial academic scholarships shall be offered in the academicyear immediately following graduation from high school to Missouri highschool seniors whose composite scores on the American College TestingProgram (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Boardare in the top five percent of all Missouri students taking those testsduring the school year in which the scholarship recipients graduate fromhigh school. In the freshman year of college, scholarship recipients arerequired to maintain status as a full-time student;
(2) Academic scholarships are renewable if the recipient remains incompliance with the applicable provisions of section 173.215* and therecipient makes satisfactory academic degree progress as a full-timestudent.
5. A student who is enrolled or has been accepted for enrollment as apostsecondary student at an approved private or public institutionbeginning with the fall 1987, term and who meets the other eligibilityrequirements for an academic scholarship shall, within the limits of thefunds appropriated and made available, be offered an academic scholarshipin the amount of two thousand dollars for each eligible student whosecomposite scores on the American College Testing Program (ACT) or theScholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Board are in the top threepercent of all Missouri students taking those tests during the school yearin which the scholarship recipients graduate from high school for eachfiscal year prior to fiscal year 2011, and, subject to appropriations,three thousand dollars for fiscal year 2011 and every fiscal yearthereafter, and one thousand dollars for fiscal year 2011 and every fiscalyear thereafter for each eligible student whose composite scores on theAmerican College Testing Program (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT) of the College Board are between the top five and three percent ofall Missouri students taking those tests during the school year in whichthe scholarship recipients graduate from high school, for the firstacademic year of study, which scholarship shall be renewable in the amountof two thousand dollars for each eligible student whose composite scores onthe American College Testing Program (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT) of the College Board are in the top three percent of all Missouristudents taking those tests during the school year in which the scholarshiprecipients graduate from high school for each fiscal year prior to fiscalyear 2011, and, subject to appropriations, three thousand dollars forfiscal year 2011 and every fiscal year thereafter, and one thousand dollarsfor fiscal year 2011 and every fiscal year thereafter for each eligiblestudent whose composite scores on the American College Testing Program(ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Board arebetween the top five and three percent of all Missouri students takingthose tests during the school year in which the scholarship recipientsgraduate from high school, annually for the second, third and fourthacademic years or as long as the recipient is in compliance with theapplicable eligibility requirements set forth in section 173.215*, providedthose years of study are continuous and the student continues to meeteligibility requirements for the scholarship; provided, however, if arecipient ceases all attendance at an approved public or privateinstitution for the purpose of providing service to a nonprofitorganization, a state or federal government agency or any branch of thearmed forces of the United States, the recipient shall be eligible for arenewal scholarship upon return to any approved public or privateinstitution, provided the recipient:
(1) Returns to full-time status within twenty-seven months;
(2) Provides verification in compliance with coordinating board forhigher education rules that the service to the nonprofit organization wassatisfactorily completed and was not compensated other than for expenses orthat the service to the state or federal governmental agency or branch ofthe armed forces of the United States was satisfactorily completed; and
(3) Meets all other requirements established for eligibility toreceive a renewal scholarship.
6. A recipient of academic scholarship awarded under this section maytransfer from one approved Missouri public or private institution toanother without losing eligibility for the scholarship. If a recipient ofthe scholarship at any time withdraws from an approved private or publicinstitution so that under the rules and regulations of that institution heor she is entitled to a refund of any tuition, fees or other charges, theinstitution shall pay the portion of the refund attributable to thescholarship for that term to the coordinating board for higher education.
7. Other provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding,if a recipient has been awarded an initial academic scholarship pursuant tothe provisions of this section but is unable to use the scholarship duringthe first academic year because of illness, disability, pregnancy or othermedical need or if a recipient ceases all attendance at an approved publicor private institution because of illness, disability, pregnancy or othermedical need, the recipient shall be eligible for an initial or renewalscholarship upon enrollment in or return to any approved public or privateinstitution, provided the recipient:
(1) Enrolls in or returns to full-time status within twenty-sevenmonths;
(2) Provides verification in compliance with coordinating board forhigher education rules of sufficient medical evidence documenting anillness, disability, pregnancy or other medical need of such person torequire that that person will not be able to use the initial or renewalscholarship during the time period for which it was originally offered; and
(3) Meets all other requirements established for eligibility toreceive an initial or a renewal scholarship.
(L. 1986 H.B. 1356 § 1, A.L. 1988 H.B. 1456, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1141, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1142, A.L. 1991 H.B. 51, et al., A.L. 2007 S.B. 389)*Sections 173.205 and 173.215 were repealed by S.B. 389, 2007