KRS 164.751: Distinguished Student Recognition and Scholarship Award Program --

Selection committee -- Award selection criteria.

(1) The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority may expend such funds as

appropriated and exercise the powers otherwise gra nted to administer the Kentucky

Distinguished Student Recognition and Scholarship Award Program to reward

academic excellence among the state's talented students by providing financial

assistance to encourage attendance at the state's public universities, nonprofit

degree granting colleges, and community colleges. Awards and scholarships shall

be offered to students who demonstrate the highest potential for successful college

study. Recognition awards shall be awarded only once to an individual and shall

come solely from the authority. Scholarships shall be an equal match of funds

between the authority and the university and may be offered annually to eligible

students.

(2) (a) The Governor shall appoint a nine (9) member selection committee whose

members ar e representative of the geographic regions of the state and have

varied university affiliations. Members shall be appointed for a term of four

(4) years though the initial appointments may be less than four (4) years to

establish staggered terms. The selec tion committee shall elect a chairman at

its first meeting and annually thereafter. The executive director of the

authority, or his designee, shall serve as secretary to the committee. The

committee shall meet at least semiannually and more often as necess ary.

Members shall serve without salary but shall be reimbursed for actual and

necessary expenses in the same manner as state employees. Members may be

reappointed to the committee;

(b) The authority shall promulgate regulations for the administration of t he

recognition award and scholarship programs. The regulations shall include but

not be limited to the following:

1. Eligibility requirements which shall include requirements that students

must be Kentucky citizens who have declared an intention to attend a

participating institution;

2. Award selection criteria including but not limited to the student's rank in

his class, grade -point average, leadership and service potential, and the

submission of a written essay;

3. Award amounts;

4. Selection committee, qualifications and duties;

5. Fund distribution formula;

6. Application deadlines; and

7. Administrative procedures.

(3) The applicant pool for the recognition and scholarship awards shall be made up of

the following Kentucky students:

(a) High school students who take one (1) of the tests required for admission to

the state's public institutions of higher education in the s pring or summer as a

junior or in the fall as a senior shall automatically become part of the

applicant pool for awards. Students scoring in the ninety -eighth or ninety -

ninth percentile on these tests shall receive invitations to submit applications

for a recognition award and a scholarship award;

(b) High school students nominated by the principal of an accredited high school

which is not represented by a student described in paragraph (a) of this

subsection. The nominees shall receive an invitation to app ly for the awards;

and

(c) High school graduates who have scores in the ninety -eighth or ninety -ninth

percentile on prior years' tests and who have not attended college may apply

for the awards.

(4) The authority shall present recognition awards to the hig hest ranking students in

accordance with the award selection criteria. The amount and number of awards

shall be determined by the authority and shall depend on the amount of funds

available. No more than twenty percent (20%) of the awards shall be awarded to

students who choose to attend an independent institution.

(5) The scholarships shall be an equal match between authority funds and institutional

funds which may include any form of gift aid except state grant funds.