Session of 1998
                   
SENATE BILL No. 547
         
By Committee on Education
         
1-29
            9             AN ACT concerning the state scholarship program; relating to eligibility
10             of state scholars; affecting determination of scholarship amounts;
11             amending K.S.A. 72-6810, 72-6811, 72-6812, 72-6814, 72-6815 and
12             72-6816 and repealing the existing sections.
13            
14       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
15           Section 1. K.S.A. 72-6810 is hereby amended to read as follows:
16       72-6810. As used in this act: (a) ``State scholarship'' means an award under
17       this act by this state to a state scholar who has established financial need.
18           (b) ``State scholar'' means a full-time, in-state student who has exhib-
19       ited scholastic ability and who is initially acceptable for entering an eli-
20       gible institution or who has so entered and is in good standing and making
21       satisfactory progress. Eligibility of a full-time, in-state student for quali-
22       fication as a state scholar and the award of a state scholarship shall com-
23       mence immediately upon graduation of the student from high school.
24           (c) ``Full-time, in-state student'' means a person who is a resident of
25       Kansas and who is enrolled at an eligible institution in an educational
26       program for at least 12 hours each semester or the equivalent thereof, or
27       who is regularly enrolled at an eligible institution in a vocational or tech-
28       nical education program. The board of regents shall determine the num-
29       ber of hours for terms or program periods other than semesters to con-
30       stitute the equivalent of 12 hours.
31           (d) ``Financial need'' means the difference between the available fi-
32       nancial resources of a student and such student's total anticipated ex-
33       penses to attend an eligible institution. A student's financial resources
34       shall ;nclude (1) four hundred and fifty dollars each year from the stu-
35       dent's own work and resources, and (2) a contribution from the income
36       and assets of the student's parents, if sufficient, as determined by a com-
37       pleted financial needs analysis statement and be based upon the accepted
38       criteria of a nationally recognized financial needs need analysis agency
39       selected by the board of regents. Financial need shall be ;(Rx)determined
40       determined at least annually.
41           (e) ``Eligible institution'' means an institution of postsecondary edu-
42       cation which maintains open enrollment, the main campus or principal
43       place of operation of which is located in Kansas, and which qualifies as

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  1       an eligible institution for the federal guaranteed-loan program under the
  2       higher education act of 1965 (P.L. 89-329), as amended.
  3           (f) ``Open enrollment'' means the policy of an institution of postse-
  4       condary education which provides the opportunity of enrollment for any
  5       student who meets its academic and other reasonable enrollment require-
  6       ments, without regard for race, gender, religion, creed or national origin.
  7           (g) ``Board of regents'' means the state board of regents provided for
  8       in the constitution of this state and described in article 32 of chapter 74
  9       of Kansas Statutes Annotated.
10           (h) ``Term'' means one of two or more divisions of an academic year
11       of an institution of postsecondary education in which substantially all
12       courses begin and end at substantially the same time and during which
13       instruction is regularly given to students.
14           (i) ``Semester'' means one of two principal terms, when there are only
15       two principal terms in the academic year, whether or not there are other
16       shorter terms during the same academic year.
17           (j) ``Program period'' means the duration of the period of time, or
18       any division thereof, required for completion of a vocational or technical
19       education program which is given in an institution of postsecondary ed-
20       ucation.
21           Sec. 2. K.S.A. 72-6811 is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-
22       6811. A state scholarship may be awarded to any qualified state scholar
23       enrolled at any eligible institution. Commencing with the first semester
24       after qualification, a state scholar may be awarded a state scholarship for
25       not more than eight consecutive semesters of undergraduate study or the
26       equivalent thereof, except that a state scholar may be awarded consecu-
27       tively to the initial eight semesters of study a state scholarship for not
28       more than an additional two semesters of study or the equivalent thereof
29       when the requirements of the educational program in which the state
30       scholar is enrolled include the completion of a fifth year of study. The
31       board of regents shall determine the equivalent of a semester when any
32       program period or all or part of the terms for which a state scholar is
33       awarded a state scholarship are not semesters.
34           Sec. 3. K.S.A. 72-6812 is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-
35       6812. (a) The amount of a state scholarship awarded to a state scholar for
36       the fall and spring semesters, or the equivalent thereof, shall be the
37       amount of the state scholar's financial need for the period, except that
38       state scholarships awarded to a state scholar in any year shall not exceed:
39           (1) Five hundred dollars in any year if the state scholar initially is or
40       was awarded a state scholarship for any program period, term or semester
41       commencing prior to July 1, 1985; and
42           (2) one thousand dollars in any year if the state scholar initially is
43       awarded a state scholarship for any program period, term or semester

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  1       commencing after July 1, 1985 an amount equal to 75% of the average
  2       amount of the total tuition and fees required of full-time, in-state students
  3       for enrollment at the state educational institutions for two semesters or
  4       the equivalent thereof.
  5           (b) When state scholarships are awarded to a state scholar for any
  6       program period or for one or more terms that are not semesters, the
  7       board of regents shall determine the equivalent of the fall and spring
  8       semesters.
  9           Sec. 4. K.S.A. 72-6814 is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-
10       6814. The board of regents shall administer this act and shall:
11           (a) Publicize Provide information regarding application procedures;
12           (b) Provide application forms, test forms, and forms for determining
13       financial need;
14           (c) Adopt rules and regulations for determining educational ability,
15       selecting examinations of educational ability and methods for giving such
16       examinations, selecting state scholars, determining the average amount of
17       tuition and fees required of full-time, in-state students for enrollment at
18       the state educational institutions, determining financial need, selecting
19       financial needs need analysis agencies, determining priority or apportion-
20       ment of state scholarships and other matters necessary for the adminis-
21       tration of this act. The board of regents may provide for apportionment
22       of state scholarships if the appropriations for state scholarships are insuf-
23       ficient to pay all state scholars with financial need. To determine who is
24       an in-state student for the purpose of this act, the board of regents shall
25       adopt rules and regulations for determination of residence of students as
26       provided by law;
27           (d) (c) Designate and notify each state scholar;
28           (e) (d) Approve and award state scholarships;
29           (f) (e) Evaluate the state scholarship program annually and make an
30       annual a report to the governor and legislature, and evaluate the state
31       scholarship program for the period;
32           (g) (f) Require any eligible institution to promptly furnish any infor-
33       mation which the board of regents requests relating to administration or
34       effect of this act.
35           Sec. 5. K.S.A. 72-6815 is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-
36       6815. Each applicant for a state scholarship in accordance with ;(tri-stars)e rules
37       and regulations of the board of regents shall:
38           (a) Be responsible for ;(tri-stars)e submission ;ø the board of regents of the
39       results of an examination of educational ability which is given by the board
40       of regents or in a manner approved as required by the board of regents;
41           (b) Complete and file an application for a state scholarship;
42           (c) Be responsible for the submission of a financial needs analysis
43       statement to the board of regents;

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  1           (d) Report promptly to the board of regents and to the eligible insti-
  2       tution at which the applicant is enrolling or enrolled any information
  3       requested relating to administration of this act;
  4           (e) (d) File a new application and financial needs analysis statement
  5       annually on the basis of which his or her eligibility for a state scholarship
  6       shall be evaluated and determined.
  7           Sec. 6. K.S.A. 72-6816 is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-
  8       6816. Any student who has applied for a tuition grant shall make note of
  9       such thereof when ;(Rx)porting such student's financial resources required
10       by K.S.A. 72-6810 applying for a state scholarship. Any student who has
11       received a tuition grant shall list ;(tri-stars)at among such student's financial re-
12       sources as required by K.S.A. 72-6810 the grant as an available financial
13       resource.
14           Sec. 7. K.S.A. 72-6810, 72-6811, 72-6812, 72-6814, 72-6815 and
15       72-6816 are hereby repealed.
16           Sec. 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
17       publication in the statute book.
18