| (a) Purpose. This section establishes procedures for
the administration of a conditional grant program that will provide
financial assistance to eligible economically disadvantaged students
who intend to work for the department in civil engineering or any
other profession for which the department determines there is a critical
need. Authority for the creation of the conditional grant program
is contained in Education Code, Chapter 56, Subchapter I.
(b) Program. Upon determination by the executive director
or the director's designee, the department may provide financial assistance
to eligible students who:
(1) declare an intent to seek a baccalaureate degree
from an institution in the State of Texas in a field of study that
satisfies the department's minimum education requirement for an eligible
profession;
(2) intend to work for the department for the two academic
years immediately following the date of the student's receipt of an
eligible degree from an institution in the State of Texas; and
(3) exhibit a high level of academic performance.
(c) Eligibility.
(1) Initial eligibility. To be initially eligible for
a conditional grant, a student must:
(A) complete and file with the department evidence
of household income and, on forms prescribed by the department, a
conditional grant application and a declaration of intent to become
a member of an eligible profession and work for the department for
the two academic years immediately following the date of the student's
receipt of an eligible degree;
(B) enroll in an institution;
(C) be a Texas resident as defined by the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board;
(D) be an economically disadvantaged student; and
(E) have complied with any other requirements adopted
by the department.
(2) Maintaining eligibility. In order to maintain eligibility,
a student must be enrolled each semester in an institution in a course
of instruction leading toward a degree in an eligible profession and,
except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, must:
(A) maintain an overall institutional grade point average
of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale; and
(B) receive credit for not fewer than 12 hours each
semester toward the student's degree program.
(3) Exception.
(A) If, during not more than one semester, a student
fails to meet the grade point or credit hour requirements of this
subsection, he or she will continue to maintain eligibility.
(B) Subparagraph (A) of this paragraph does not apply
to a freshman student, unless the director of the department's Human
Resources Division or designee determines that the student has a reasonable
opportunity to comply with the requirements of Subparagraph (C) of
this paragraph. The director will base his or her decision on an overall
assessment of the student's freshman academic record.
(C) Students who fail to meet the grade point requirement,
but are allowed to maintain eligibility under this paragraph, must
receive credit for not fewer than 12 hours each semester and attain
a semester grade point average of 2.5 during all semesters thereafter
until the student graduates.
(4) Hardship waiver. The department may waive, upon
approval of the executive director, the requirement that a student
receive credit for not fewer than 12 hours each semester if a student
demonstrates hardship. Hardship may involve serious illness, family
emergency, or other extraordinary circumstances beyond the control
of the student.
(d) Application.
(1) To apply for a conditional grant, a student must
submit to the department:
(A) a completed application in a form prescribed by
the department; and
(B) a declaration of intent.
(2) The application will require information and documentation
relating to residency status, secondary school performance or college
performance, the current or intended enrollment institution, the sworn
statement as required by subsection (k) of this section, and such
other information the department deems necessary to determine eligibility
pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(3) An application must be submitted by April 1st of
each year for the subsequent fall and spring semesters admission.
(e) Selection.
(1) Academics. The department will rank applicants
according to the following selection criteria:
(A) secondary school or college grade point average;
(B) SAT or ACT score;
(C) honors and awards from, and participation in technical
or academic organizations such as Texas Prefreshman Engineering Program,
Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering, National Honor Society,
Debate Team, or Dean's List;
(D) vocational education;
(E) work experience; and
(F) whether the applicant is the first generation of
the applicant's family to attend or graduate from an undergraduate
program or from a graduate or professional program.
(2) Financial need. Applicants that meet a minimum
academic threshold using the criteria in paragraph (1) of this subsection
will be ranked giving highest priority to students who demonstrate
the greatest financial need as measured by the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
(f) Grant agreement.
(1) The department will send written notice to applicants
selected to receive a grant informing them of the amount to be awarded
for the conditional grant as certified by their educational institution.
(2) Each selected student will be required to execute
a grant agreement prior to receiving a conditional grant. The grant
agreement will be in a form prescribed by the department and will
set forth the terms and conditions of the grant, including, but not
limited to, the amount of the grant and the requirements of continued
eligibility pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(g) Conditional grant.
(1) The amount of a conditional grant is the sum of:
(A) the amount of tuition and fees for the student,
as certified by the institution; and
(B) a stipend based upon financial need as provided
by subsection (h) of this section.
(2) Each semester the department will distribute a
conditional grant for each eligible student on receipt of an enrollment
report and certification of the amount of tuition, fees, and stipend
(if any) for the student from the institution.
(3) The total amount of any one conditional grant may
not exceed the certified amount of tuition and fees for the student
and a stipend for each whole calendar month in an amount determined
by the department, but may not exceed $4,000 per academic semester
based on financial need.
(4) If the amount appropriated to the department for
conditional grants is less than the estimated amount of all unpaid
conditional grants, the department will proportionally reduce each
unpaid conditional grant.
(h) Stipend.
(1) A student desiring to receive a stipend must:
(A) sign a financial information release statement;
and
(B) complete the required financial need forms at the
institution.
(2) The department will award a stipend to the student
upon certification by the institution of the student's certified financial
need.
(3) Costs of room and board will be included in the
stipend amount.
(i) Default. The department will declare a student
to be in default of the grant agreement and will require the student
to repay all conditional grant funds received from the department
if the student:
(1) withdraws from the institution; or
(2) fails to comply with one or more requirements of
the grant agreement.
(j) Repayment.
(1) If a student fails to meet the requirements of
the program or chooses to leave the program before the student's completion
of at least 30 college credit hours, the department will terminate
the agreement and the student will not be required to repay any expended
funds. If the student is declared to be in default of the program
agreement after the student's completion of at least 30 college credit
hours, the student is required to repay all funds received from the
department.
(2) If a student is required to repay funds pursuant
to subsection (i) of this section, the department will establish a
repayment schedule of:
(A) 120 equal monthly installments for students who
received grants for four years or more;
(B) 96 equal monthly installments for students who
received grants for more than three years, but less than four years;
Cont'd... |
