13-55-33. Allocation of scholarship--Total amount.

At the beginning of the fall semester, one-half of the annual opportunity scholarship must be paid to public institutions, on behalf of eligible students, or provided directly to eligible students enrolled at nonpublic institutions. The other half of the scholarship must be paid at the beginning of the spring semester.

The amount of the annual scholarship is:

(1)    For students first receiving a scholarship on or before June 30, 2023:

(a)    One thousand three hundred dollars for the first year of attendance;

(b)    One thousand three hundred dollars for the second year of attendance;

(c)    One thousand three hundred dollars for the third year of attendance; and

(d)    Two thousand six hundred dollars for the fourth year of attendance, except if the student was in full-time attendance at a regionally accredited university, college, or technical school, located outside this state, prior to admission to the program, the scholarship is one thousand three hundred dollars; and

(2)    For students first receiving a scholarship on or after July 1, 2023:

(a)    One thousand five hundred dollars for the first year of attendance;

(b)    One thousand five hundred dollars for the second year of attendance;

(c)    One thousand five hundred dollars for the third year of attendance; and

(d)    Three thousand dollars for the fourth year of attendance, except if the student was in full-time attendance at a regionally accredited university, college, or technical school, located outside this state, prior to admission to the program, the scholarship is one thousand five hundred dollars.

If a scholarship recipient completes an undergraduate degree within three full years of attendance and subsequently enrolls in a graduate program and attains full-time graduate status, as determined by the graduate program, at an eligible institution, as described in § 13-55-31, the recipient is entitled to the remainder of the scholarship the recipient would have received if the recipient had completed an undergraduate degree following four full years of attendance.

If, in any year, the total moneys available to finance the scholarships are insufficient to permit each eligible recipient to receive the full amount provided in this section, the available moneys must be prorated and distributed to each recipient in proportion to the entitlement set forth in this section.

The total amount payable to a student under this section may not exceed seven thousand five hundred dollars.

Source: SL 2003, ch 110, § 4; SL 2004, ch 136, § 3; SL 2006, ch 89, § 2; SL 2013, ch 90, § 1; SL 2015, ch 100, § 1; SL 2023, ch 61, § 1.