North Carolina § 116-281 - Eligibility requirements for scholarships.

§ 116-281. Eligibility requirements for scholarships.

In order to be eligible to receive a scholarship under this Article, a student seeking a degree, diploma, or certificate at an eligible private postsecondary institution must meet all of the following requirements: Only needy North Carolina students are eligible to receive scholarships. For purposes of this subsection, "needy North Carolina students" are those eligible students whose expected family contribution under the federal methodology does not exceed an amount as set annually by the Authority based upon costs of attendance at The University of North Carolina. The student must meet all other eligibility requirements for the federal Pell Grant, with the exception of the expected family contribution. The student must meet at least one of the following: Qualify as a legal resident of North Carolina and as a resident for tuition purposes under the criteria set forth in G.S. 116-143.1 and in accordance with definitions of residency that may from time to time be adopted by the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina. Be a veteran provided the veteran's abode is in North Carolina and the veteran provides the eligible private postsecondary institution a letter of intent to establish residency in North Carolina. Be an active duty member of the Armed Forces provided the member of the Armed Forces is abiding in this State incident to active military duty in this State. Be the dependent relative of a veteran who is abiding in North Carolina while sharing an abode with the veteran and the dependent relative provides the eligible private postsecondary institution a letter of intent to establish residency in North Carolina. Be the dependent relative of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who is abiding in North Carolina incident to active military duty while sharing an abode with the active duty member. The dependent relative shall remain eligible under this subdivision when the active duty member of the Armed Forces is reassigned outside the State if, at the time the dependent relative applies for admission to an eligible private postsecondary institution, the dependent relative both: Is enrolled in a North Carolina high school. Upon admission to an eligible private postsecondary institution, enrolls no later than the fall academic semester immediately following admission and remains continuously enrolled. The student must meet enrollment standards by being admitted, enrolled, and classified as an undergraduate student in a matriculated status at an eligible private postsecondary institution. In order to continue to be eligible for a scholarship for the student's second and subsequent academic years, the student must meet achievement standards by maintaining satisfactory academic progress in a course of study in accordance with the standards and practices used for federal Title IV programs by the eligible private postsecondary institution in which the student is enrolled. Repealed by Session Laws 2013-360, s. 11.15(e), effective for the 2014-2015 academic year and each subsequent academic year. History (2011-145, s. 9.18(a); 2013-360, s. 11.15(e); 2016-57, s. 2(d); 2018-5, s. 10A.6(b); 2018-97, s. 2.17(b); 2020-78, s. 3A.1(a); 2021-9, s. 2.5(a).) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2013-360, s. 11.15(i), made Session Laws 2013-360, s. 11.15(e), which repealed subdivision (6) pertaining to scholarship eligibility after a certain number of academic semesters or equivalent credit hours, applicable to the 2014-2015 academic year and each subsequent academic year. Session Laws 2013-360, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2013.'" Session Laws 2013-360, s. 38.5, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2013-360, s. 11.15(h), as amended by Session Laws 2014-100, s. 11.8, provides: "The State Education Assistance Authority, in consultation with The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Community College System, and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, shall study ways to structure its financial aid payment schedules to encourage students to complete an average of 30 credit hours per academic year. The State Education Assistance Authority shall make an interim report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 1, 2015, on its progress or lack thereof in developing such schedules and shall make a final report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by October 1, 2015, about the financial aid payment schedules it proposes to implement. "After submitting its final report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the State Education Assistance Authority shall structure its payment schedules to encourage students to complete an average of 30 credit hours per academic year. The revised payment schedules shall be in place for financial aid awards made for the 2016-2017 academic year and all subsequent academic years." Session Laws 2014-100, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as 'The Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2014.'" Session Laws 2014-100, s. 38.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2014-2015 fiscal year." Session Laws 2014-100, s. 38.7, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2016-57, s. 3, made the amendment to subdivision (3) of this section by Session Laws 2016-57, s. 2(d), applicable to all undergraduate enrollments for academic quarters, terms, or semesters that begin on or after January 1, 2017, and to all graduate enrollments for academic quarters, terms, or semesters that begin on or after January 1, 2018. Session Laws 2018-5, s. 10A.6(c), made the amendment of subdivision (3) of this section by Session Laws 2018-5, s. 10A.6(b), appplicable beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year. Session Laws 2018-5, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2018.'" Session Laws 2018-5, s. 39.7, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2018-97, s. 2.17(c), made the amendment of subdivision (3) of this section by Session Laws 2018-97, s. 2.17(b), applicable beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year. Session Laws 2020-78, s. 3A.1(b), made sub-subdivisions (3)d. and (3)e., as added by Session Laws 2020-78, s. 3A.1(a), applicable beginning with the award of scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year. Session Laws 2020-78, s. 22.1, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2019-2021 fiscal biennium, the textual provisions of this act apply only to the 2019-2021 fiscal biennium." Session Laws 2020-78, s. 22.3, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2021-9, s. 2.5(b), made the amendment to subdivision (3) by Session Laws 2021-9, s. 2.5(a), applicable beginning with the award of scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year. Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2013-360, s. 11.15(e), effective July 1, 2013, deleted subdivision (6), which read: "A student shall not receive a scholarship under this Article for more than nine full-time academic semesters, or the equivalent if enrolled part-time, unless the student is enrolled in a program officially designated by the eligible private postsecondary institution as a five-year degree program. If a student is enrolled in such a five-year degree program, then the student shall not receive a scholarship under this Article for more than 11 full-time academic semesters or the equivalent if enrolled part-time.". For applicability, see Editor's note. Session Laws 2016-57, s. 2(d), effective September 1, 2016, in subdivision (3), inserted "under the criteria set forth in G.S. 116-143.1 and"; and substituted "of The University of North Carolina" for "and published in the residency manual of the Board of Governors." See editor's note for applicability. Session Laws 2018-5, s. 10A.6(b), effective July 1, 2018, in subdivision (3), inserted the clause designations and added the second clause. For applicability, see editor's note. Session Laws 2018-97, s. 2.17(b), effective July 1, 2018, rewrote subdivision (b)(3), which read "The student must either (i) qualify as a legal resident of North Carolina and as a resident for tuition purposes under the criteria set forth in G.S. 116-143.1 and in accordance with definitions of residency that may from time to time be adopted by the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina or (ii) be a veteran provided the veteran's abode is in North Carolina and the veteran provides the eligible private postsecondary institution a letter of intent to establish residency in North Carolina." For applicability, see editor's note. Session Laws 2020-78, s. 3A.1(a), effective July 1, 2020, sub-subdivisions (3)d. and (3)e. For applicability, see editor's note. Session Laws 2021-9, s. 2.5(a), effective April 9, 2021, added the last sentence to subdivision (3)e.; and added sub-subdivisions (3)e.1 and (3)e.2. For applicability, see editor's note.