173.727. Graduate study scholarship program--definitions--administration--eligibility--terms--renewability promulgation, procedure.
Graduate study scholarshipprogram--definitions--administration--eligibility--terms--renewabilitypromulgation, procedure.
173.727. 1. There is hereby established a "Higher Education GraduateStudy Scholarship Program" and any moneys appropriated by the generalassembly for this program shall be used to provide scholarships forMissouri citizens to pursue graduate studies at a college or university oftheir choice pursuant 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 except that the terms"approved private institution" and "approved public institution" shall, inaddition, mean that those institutions offer programs of study beyond thebaccalaureate degree which lead to a certificate or degree award on thegraduate study level for which level of study the institution is accreditedby the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The terms"graduate study scholarship" or "graduate scholarship" mean an amount ofmoney paid by the state of Missouri to a qualified college or universitygraduate student who has demonstrated superior academic achievementpursuant 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) For each three-year period of academic years, beginning with the1991-1992 academic year, and based upon manpower needs of the state ofMissouri as determined by the coordinating board, designate an area orareas of graduate program certificate or degree study for which graduatestudy scholarships shall be awarded to qualified Missouri residents, asprovided in this section, during the three-year period;
(2) Promulgate reasonable rules and regulations for the exercise ofits functions and the effectuation of the purposes of this section;
(3) Prescribe the form and the time and method of awarding graduatestudy scholarships, and shall supervise the processing thereof; and
(4) Select qualified recipients to receive graduate studyscholarships, make such awards of graduate scholarships to qualifiedrecipients and determine the manner and method of payment to the recipient.
4. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated under the authority ofthis section shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuantto the provisions of section 536.024, RSMo.
5. A student shall be eligible for initial or renewed graduatescholarship if he or she is in compliance with the eligibility requirementsset forth in section 173.215, excluding the requirement of financial need,provided the student is enrolled, or has been accepted for enrollment, as afull-time graduate student in an approved private or public institution andin addition meets the requirements set forth in subsections 6* and 7* ofthis section. However, if the number of applicants exceeds the number ofscholarships or revenues available, the coordinating board for highereducation may consider the financial needs of the applicant.
6. Graduate study scholarships are awarded for a period of oneacademic year. Initial scholarships shall be offered to Missouri residentswhose scores on both the verbal and quantitative sections of the graduaterecord examination general test are in the top one percent of all Missouristudents taking the graduate record examination during the academic year inwhich the test was taken, or who achieve, to the satisfaction of thecoordinating board for higher education, an equivalent score on anequivalent graduate or professional examination. Graduate scholarshiprecipients are required to maintain a full-time student status.
7. Initial graduate study scholarships are renewable for oneadditional academic year provided the recipient makes satisfactory graduatedegree progress as a full-time student and provided that the program ofstudy for which the scholarship is awarded requires an additional year ofstudy to meet minimum requirements, exclusive of thesis, dissertation orexperiential project. Graduate study scholarships are also renewable foruninterrupted progression of study from one level of graduate degree to thenext higher level of degree study and may further be renewed for oneadditional academic year under the same criteria as provided for initialscholarship renewal.
8. A student who is enrolled or has been accepted for enrollment as agraduate student, at an approved private or public institution, in aprogram study area designated as eligible by the coordinating board forhigher education, beginning with the fall, 1991, term and who meets theother eligibility requirements for a graduate study scholarship shall,within the limits of the funds appropriated and made available, be offereda graduate study scholarship in the amount of two thousand dollars, whichscholarship shall be renewable as provided in this section.
(L. 1990 H.B. 1142 § 9, A.L. 1993 S.B. 52, A.L. 1995 S.B. 3)*Subsections "12 and 13" appear in original rolls, changed due to renumbering.
CROSS REFERENCE:
Missouri college guarantee fund may be used to fund graduate study scholarships, RSMo 173.830