KRS 164.7870: Optometry Scholarship Program.

(1) The General Assembly hereby establishes the Optometry Scholarship Program to

provide eligible Kentucky students the opportunity to attend an accredited school of

optometry to become certified practitioners rendering medical service in the

Commonwealth.

(2) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Authority" means the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority;

(b) "Eligible institution" means an accredited school of optometry that:

1. Is the Kentucky College of Optometry; or

2. a. Has a main campus outside the Commonwealth; and

b. Executes an agreement with the authority on terms the authority

deems necessary or appropriate for administration of the program;

(c) "Eligible program of study" means a program accredited by the Accreditation

Council on Optometric Education that leads to a Doctor of Optometry degree;

(d) "Eligible student" means any person who:

1. Is a United States citizen;

2. Is a Kentucky resident as determined by the institution in accordan ce

with criteria established by the Council on Postsecondary Education for

the purposes of admission and tuition assessment;

3. Is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an eligible institution in an

eligible program of study on a full-time basis;

4. Completes and submits an optometry scholarship application to the

authority; and

5. Is not in default on any program under Title IV of the federal act or any

obligation to the authority under any program administered by the

authority under KRS 164.740 to 164.78 5 or 164.7894, except that

ineligibility for this reason may be waived by the authority for cause;

and

(e) "Optometry Scholarship Committee" means a group of individuals selected in

accordance with regulations promulgated by the authority whose membership

shall be composed of:

1. A representative from the Kentucky Optometric Association;

2. A representative from the Kentucky College of Optometry;

3. Two (2) at-large members with optometric education experience; and

4. One (1) representative from an eligible institution located outside the

Commonwealth.

(3) The authority shall administer the Optometry Scholarship Program and shall

promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A as may

be needed for the administration of the program.

(4) Beginning with the 2021 -2022 academic year, the authority may award an

optometry scholarship under this section, to the extent funds are available for that

purpose, to any eligible student who is selected by the Optometry Scholarship

Committee to be a recipient.

(5) A minimum of one -third (1/3) of the amount appropriated for scholarships under

this section shall be awarded to eligible students attending an eligible institution

located in the Commonwealth.

(6) Should funds be insufficient to award all eli gible students, those previously

receiving tuition assistance through the optometry contract spaces program

administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education shall receive priority until

such time they complete or withdraw from an eligible program of study or have

received assistance for four (4) years of study.

(7) The authority shall provide an annual report on the Optometry Scholarship Program

to the General Assembly that includes the:

(a) Number of students served by the scholarship, the total amou nt disbursed, and

distribution by institution;

(b) Number of recipients completing an eligible program and the number

practicing in Kentucky following program completion; and

(c) Geographic distribution and occupational demand of optometrists in the state.

(8) (a) The Optometry Scholarship Program fund is hereby created as a trust fund in

the State Treasury to be administered by the authority for the purpose of

providing scholarships described in this section.

(b) The trust fund shall consist of state gener al fund appropriations, gifts and

grants from public and private sources, and federal funds. All moneys

included in the fund shall be appropriated for the purposes set forth in this

section.

(c) Any unalloted or unencumbered balances in the trust fund shal l be invested as

provided in KRS 42.500(9). Income earned from the investments shall be

credited to the trust fund.

(d) Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, any fund balance at the close of the fiscal year

shall not lapse but shall be carried forward to the next fi scal year and

continuously appropriated only for the purposes specified in this section.