(a) Subject to available funding for this program,
the department will publish a notice of fund availability and request
for applications, which will include all necessary details about the
program and application requirements.
(b) To be eligible to participate in the competition,
an application must be coordinated and submitted by the sponsor on
behalf of the individual being nominated. The application must be
on the forms and in a format prescribed by the department.
(c) The department will review each application for
completeness and eligibility. Only those applications that meet the
eligibility requirements for recognition are then evaluated and ranked
by the selection committee.
(d) The selection committee will select outstanding
rural scholars based on the following criteria:
(1) the student's academic achievements;
(2) an essay written by the student discussing the
student's reasons for entering the competition, the health care degree
or program the student is pursuing, the student's reasons for pursuing
the chosen health care profession, and the student's reasons for wanting
to provide health care to rural Texans;
(3) sponsor financial commitment;
(4) community statement of need;
(5) standardized test scores; and
(6) the overall quality of the nominee.
(e) The selection committee shall rank the students
and inform the department of its selections.
|