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11  AN ACT establishing the student tuition assistance recognition scholar-
12    ship (STARS) program to provide financial aid to Kansas residents who
13    are students in Kansas postsecondary educational institutions; pre-
14    scribing powers, duties and functions for the state board of regents;
15    amending K.S.A. 1996 Supp. 79-4801 and repealing the existing
16    section.
17
18  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
19    New Section 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the
20  Kansas STARS program act.
21    New Sec. 2.  As used in sections 1 through 5, and amendments
22  thereto:
23    (a)  ``Board'' means the state board of regents.
24    (b)  ``Educational program'' means an educational program that leads
25  to a certificate, diploma or degree upon satisfactory completion of course-
26  work requirements at a Kansas educational institution.
27    (c)  ``Kansas educational institution'' means any area vocational school,
28  area vocational-technical school, community college, the municipal uni-
29  versity, state educational institution under the control and supervision of
30  the state board of regents, technical college or accredited independent
31  postsecondary educational institution located and operating in Kansas.
32    (d)  ``Kansas high school'' means a Kansas public high school, an ac-
33  credited private Kansas high school, or the equivalent thereof which is
34  located in Kansas.
35    (e)  ``STARS program'' means the student tuition assistance recogni-
36  tion scholarship program established by this act.
37    New Sec. 3.  (a) There is hereby established the student tuition as-
38  sistance recognition scholarship (STARS) program to provide financial
39  aid for eligible Kansas residents enrolled in educational programs at Kan-
40  sas educational institutions. The STARS program shall be administered
41  by the state board of regents in accordance with the eligibility require-
42  ments and other guidelines prescribed for the STARS program by sec-
43  tions 1 through 5, and amendments thereto, and policies and rules and
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 1  regulations adopted by the board. The board shall adopt all necessary
 2  policies and rules and regulations that may be required for the imple-
 3  mentation and administration of the STARS program.
 4    (b)  Subject to available appropriations, the amount of each STARS
 5  program scholarship awarded to an eligible student for study in an edu-
 6  cational program at a Kansas educational institution shall be the amount
 7  equal to the tuition and fees charged the student by the Kansas educa-
 8  tional institution for each semester, or other equivalent academic period,
 9  of classes in which such student is enrolled in the student's educational
10  program during an academic year, less all amounts of free federal financial
11  aid received or approved to be received by the student for that academic
12  year, except that the amount of any STARS program scholarship shall not
13  be more than $1,200 per semester or other equivalent academic period.
14    (c)  Subject to available appropriations, the board shall implement the
15  STARS program commencing with the fall semester of the 1997-98 ac-
16  ademic year, or the equivalent academic period that commences in the
17  fall of 1997.
18    New Sec. 4.  (a) To be eligible for a STARS program scholarship, a
19  person applying therefor shall:
20    (1)  Be a Kansas resident;
21    (2)  have an adjusted gross family income of less than $50,000 per
22  year;
23    (3) (A)  have graduated from a Kansas high school, have attained a
24  cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher on a four-point scale,
25  or the equivalent thereof, at that Kansas high school and have applied for
26  and have been accepted for enrollment at a Kansas educational institu-
27  tion; or
28    (B)  have satisfactorily completed a normal course load for the stu-
29  dent's educational program at the Kansas educational institution and have
30  attained a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher on a four-
31  point scale, or the equivalent thereof, in the first or any succeeding se-
32  mester, or other comparable academic period, if the student is currently
33  enrolled at a Kansas educational institution;
34    (4)  have applied for all available free financial assistance from federal
35  sources; and
36    (5)  if the student is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program,
37  have not previously received a baccalaureate degree.
38    (b)  Each eligible Kansas student awarded a STARS program schol-
39  arship and maintaining eligibility therefor may renew the scholarship an-
40  nually for a maximum of the total number of semesters, or other equiv-
41  alent academic periods, required to complete the student's educational
42  program at the Kansas educational institution.
43    (c)  Each student receiving a STARS program scholarship shall main-
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 1  tain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher on a four-point
 2  scale, or the equivalent thereof, in each semester, or other equivalent
 3  academic period, in a normal course load for the student's educational
 4  program at a Kansas educational institution in order to continue to receive
 5  financial aid under the scholarship and to continue to be eligible for re-
 6  newal of the STARS program scholarship for the ensuing semester, or
 7  other equivalent academic period, at the Kansas educational institution.
 8    New Sec. 5.  There is hereby established in the state treasury the
 9  STARS scholarship program fund which shall be administered by the state
10  board of regents. All moneys credited to the STARS scholarship program
11  fund shall be used for STARS program scholarships in accordance with
12  this act. All expenditures from the STARS scholarship program fund shall
13  be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the di-
14  rector of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by
15  the executive officer of the state board of regents or the executive officer's
16  designee.
17    Sec. 6.  K.S.A. 1996 Supp. 79-4801 is hereby amended to read as
18  follows: 79-4801. There is hereby created the state gaming revenues fund
19  in the state treasury. All moneys credited to such fund shall be expended
20  or transferred only for the purposes and in the manner provided by this
21  act and all expenditures from the state gaming revenues fund shall be
22  made in accordance with appropriation acts. All moneys credited to such
23  fund shall be allocated and credited monthly to the funds and in the
24  amounts specified by this act except that the total of the amounts credited
25  to such funds in any one fiscal year pursuant to this act shall not exceed
26  $50,000,000. All amounts credited to such fund in any one fiscal year
27  which are in excess of $50,000,000 shall be transferred and credited to
28  the state general fund on July 15, 1996, and June 25, 1997, and each year
29  thereafter STARS scholarship program fund on June 25 of each year.
30    Sec. 7.  K.S.A. 1996 Supp. 79-4801 is hereby repealed.
31    Sec. 8.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
32  publication in the Kansas register.