{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-2605","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-2605","heading":"Public awareness program - Student agreements","body":"A. Each school year, every fifth- through eleventh-grade\n\nstudent in the public and private schools of this state and students\n\nwho are educated by other means and are in the equivalent of the\n\nfifth through eleventh grade shall be apprised, together with the\n\nparent, custodial parent, or guardian of the student, of the\n\nopportunity for access to higher learning under the Oklahoma Higher\n\nLearning Access Program. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher\n\nEducation and the State Board of Education shall develop, promote,\n\nand coordinate a public awareness program to be utilized in making\n\nstudents and parents aware of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram.\n\nB. On a form provided by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher\n\nEducation, every public school district shall designate at least one\n\nOklahoma Higher Learning Access Program contact person, who shall be\n\na counselor or teacher, at each public school site in this state in\n\nwhich eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, or eleventh-grade classes are taught.\n\nWhen requested by the State Regents, the State Board of Education\n\nshall assist the State Regents to ensure the designation of contact\n\npersons. Private schools shall also designate at least one school\n\nofficial as a contact person. For students who are educated by\n\nother means, a parent or guardian or other person approved by the\n\nState Regents shall be designated the contact person.\n\nC. 1. Students who qualify on the basis of financial need\n\naccording to subsection D or E of this section or who meet the\n\neligibility qualification set forth in subparagraph a of paragraph 1\n\nof subsection B of Section 2603 of this title no later than December\n\n31 of their twelfth-grade year or prior to reaching the age of\n\nseventeen (17) and who qualify on the basis of the standards and\n\nprovisions promulgated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher\n\nEducation shall be given the opportunity throughout the eighth-,\n\nninth-, tenth-, and eleventh-grade years and no later than December\n\n31 of the twelfth-grade year, for students enrolled in a public or\n\nprivate school, or between the ages of thirteen (13) and seventeen\n\n(17), for students who are educated by other means, to enter into\n\nparticipation in the program by agreeing to, throughout the\n\nremainder of their school years or educational program:\n\na. attend school or an educational program regularly and\n\ndo homework regularly,\n\nb. refrain from substance abuse,\n\nc. refrain from commission of crimes or delinquent acts,\n\nd. have school work and school records reviewed by\n\nmentors designated pursuant to the program,\n\ne. provide information requested by the Oklahoma State\n\nRegents for Higher Education or the State Board of\n\nEducation, and\n\nf. participate in program activities.\n\n2. Students who meet the eligibility qualification set forth in\n\nsubparagraph a of paragraph 1 of subsection B of Section 2603 of\n\nthis title after December 31 of their twelfth-grade year or after\n\nreaching the age of eighteen (18) shall be given the opportunity\n\nprior to reaching the age of twenty-one (21) to enter into\n\nparticipation in the program and shall execute an agreement with\n\nprovisions as determined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher\n\nEducation.\n\n3. The contact person shall maintain the agreements, which\n\nshall be executed on forms provided by the Oklahoma State Regents\n\nfor Higher Education and managed according to regulations\n\npromulgated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, and\n\nthe contact person shall monitor compliance of the student with the\n\nterms of the agreement. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher\n\nEducation are authorized to process student agreements and verify\n\ncompliance with the agreements. Students failing to comply with the\n\nterms of the agreement shall not be eligible for the awards provided\n\nin Section 2604 of this title.\n\n4. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may provide\ncompliance of the student with the\n\nterms of the agreement. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher\n\nEducation are authorized to process student agreements and verify\n\ncompliance with the agreements. Students failing to comply with the\n\nterms of the agreement shall not be eligible for the awards provided\n\nin Section 2604 of this title.\n\n4. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may provide\n\nan exception to the age limits provided for in paragraphs 1 and 2 of\n\nthis subsection pursuant to subsection L of this section.\n\n5. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 5-132 and 5-132.1\n\nof this title, a student who is age twenty-one (21) or older shall\n\nnot be eligible to enter into participation in the program.\n\nD. Except as otherwise provided for in subsection E of this\n\nsection and except for students who qualify pursuant to subsection B\n\nof Section 2603 of this title, a student shall not be found to be in\n\nfinancial need for purposes of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram if:\n\n1. Beginning with eighth-, ninth-, or tenth-grade students who\n\nare enrolled in a public or private school or students between the\n\nages of thirteen (13) and fifteen (15) who are educated by other\n\nmeans who apply for participation in the program in the 2017-2018\n\nschool year, the federal adjusted gross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s) exceeds Fifty-five Thousand Dollars ($55,000.00) per year;\n\n2. Beginning with eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, or eleventh-grade\n\nstudents who are enrolled in a public or private school or students\n\nbetween the ages of thirteen (13) and sixteen (16) who are educated\n\nby other means who apply for participation in the program in the\n\n2021-2022 school year, the federal adjusted gross income of the\n\nstudent’s parent(s) exceeds Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000.00) per\n\nyear;\n\n3. Beginning with eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, or eleventh-grade\n\nstudents who are enrolled in a public or private school or students\n\nbetween the ages of thirteen (13) and sixteen (16) who are educated\n\nby other means who apply for participation in the program in the\n\n2022-2023 school year:\n\na. the federal adjusted gross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s), who have two or fewer dependent children,\n\nexceeds Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000.00) per year,\n\nb. the federal adjusted gross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s), who have three or four dependent children,\n\nexceeds Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per\n\nyear, or\n\nc. the federal adjusted gross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s), who have five or more dependent children,\n\nexceeds Eighty Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00) per year;\n\n4. Beginning with eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, or eleventh-grade\n\nstudents or twelfth-grade students no later than December 31 of\n\ntheir twelfth-grade year who are enrolled in a public or private\n\nschool or students between the ages of thirteen (13) and seventeen\ngross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s), who have five or more dependent children,\n\nexceeds Eighty Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00) per year;\n\n4. Beginning with eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, or eleventh-grade\n\nstudents or twelfth-grade students no later than December 31 of\n\ntheir twelfth-grade year who are enrolled in a public or private\n\nschool or students between the ages of thirteen (13) and seventeen\n\n(17) who are educated by other means who apply for participation in\n\nthe program in the 2025-2026 school year:\n\na. the federal adjusted gross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s), who have two or fewer dependent children,\n\nexceeds Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000.00) per year,\n\nb. the federal adjusted gross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s), who have three or four dependent children,\n\nexceeds Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per\n\nyear, or\n\nc. the federal adjusted gross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s), who have five or more dependent children,\n\nexceeds Eighty Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00) per year;\n\n5. Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, prior to\n\nreceiving any Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program benefit award\n\nfor any year during which the student is enrolled in an institution\n\nwhich is a member of The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education,\n\na postsecondary vocational-technical program offered by a technology\n\ncenter school that meets the requirements to be eligible for federal\n\nstudent financial aid, or a private institution of higher learning\n\nlocated within this state and accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of\n\nthis title, the federal adjusted gross income of the student’s\n\nparent(s) exceeds One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) per\n\nyear.\n\nThe determination of financial qualification as set forth in\n\nthis paragraph shall be based on the income of the student, not the\n\nincome of the parent(s), if a student:\n\na. is determined to be independent of the student’s\n\nparents for federal financial aid purposes,\n\nb. was in the permanent custody of the Department of\n\nHuman Services at the time the student enrolled in the\n\nprogram, or\n\nc. was in the court-ordered custody of a federally\n\nrecognized Indian tribe, as defined by the federal\n\nIndian Child Welfare Act of 1978, at the time the\n\nstudent enrolled in the program.\n\nThe provisions of this paragraph shall apply to any student who\n\nhas received an Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program benefit\n\naward after the 2017-2018 school year; and\n\n6. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall review\n\nthe determination of financial qualification as set forth in\n\nparagraphs 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this subsection if the income from\n\ntaxable and nontaxable sources of the student’s parent(s) includes\n\nincome received from nontaxable military benefits or income received\n\nfrom the federal Social Security Administration due to the death or\n\ndisability of the student’s parent(s). If the income from taxable\n\nand nontaxable sources of the student’s parent(s), excluding income\n\nreceived from nontaxable military benefits or income received from\n\nthe federal Social Security Administration due to the death or\n\ndisability of the student’s parent(s), does not exceed the\n\nlimitations set forth by paragraphs 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this\n\nsubsection, the student shall be determined to have met the\n\nfinancial qualification set forth in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, and 4 of\n\nthis subsection.\n\nE. 1. A student who was adopted between birth and twelve (12)\n\nyears of age while in the permanent custody of the Department of\n\nHuman Services, in the court-ordered custody of a licensed private\n\nnonprofit child-placing agency, or federally recognized Indian\n\ntribe, as defined by the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978,\n\nshall not be found to be in financial need for purposes of the\n\nOklahoma Higher Learning Access Program if at the time the student\nf the Department of\n\nHuman Services, in the court-ordered custody of a licensed private\n\nnonprofit child-placing agency, or federally recognized Indian\n\ntribe, as defined by the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978,\n\nshall not be found to be in financial need for purposes of the\n\nOklahoma Higher Learning Access Program if at the time the student\n\nbegins postsecondary education and prior to receiving any Oklahoma\n\nHigher Learning Access Program benefit award, the federal adjusted\n\ngross income of the student’s parent(s) exceeds One Hundred Fifty\n\nThousand Dollars ($150,000.00) per year. The provisions of this\n\nparagraph shall not apply to any student who has received an\n\nOklahoma Higher Learning Access Program benefit award prior to the\n\n2012-2013 school year.\n\n2. A student who was adopted between thirteen (13) and\n\nseventeen (17) years of age while in the permanent custody of the\n\nDepartment of Human Services, in the court-ordered custody of a\n\nlicensed private nonprofit child-placing agency, or federally\n\nrecognized Indian tribe, as defined by the federal Indian Child\n\nWelfare Act of 1978, shall not be found to be in financial need for\n\npurposes of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program if at the\n\ntime the student begins postsecondary education and prior to\n\nreceiving any Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program benefit award,\n\nthe federal adjusted gross income of the student’s parent(s) exceeds\n\nTwo Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) per year. The provisions\n\nof this paragraph shall not apply to any student who has received an\n\nOklahoma Higher Learning Access Program benefit award prior to the\n\n2012-2013 school year.\n\n3. A student who was placed in the custody of the Department of\n\nHuman Services at any time during the eighth, ninth, tenth, or\n\neleventh grade and enrolls in the program no later than his or her\n\nofficial date of high school graduation shall not be found to be in\n\nfinancial need for purposes of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram if the federal adjusted gross income of the student exceeds\n\nSixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000.00) per year.\n\n4. Except for students who qualify pursuant to subsection B of\n\nSection 2603 of this title, the determination of financial\n\nqualification as set forth in this subsection shall be based on the\n\nincome of the student, not the income of the parent(s), if the\n\nstudent is determined to be independent of the student’s parent(s)\n\nfor federal financial aid purposes. A determination of financial\n\nqualification shall not be required for the student who meets the\n\ncriteria set forth in this subsection at the time the student\n\napplies for participation in the program. The provisions of this\n\nparagraph shall not apply to any student who has received an\n\nOklahoma Higher Learning Access Program benefit award prior to the\n\n2008-2009 school year.\n\n5. a. A student who is the child of a certified classroom\n\nteacher at the time the student applies for\n\nparticipation in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram shall not be found to be in financial need for\n\nthe purposes of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram if, beginning with eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, or\n\neleventh-grade students or twelfth-grade students no\n\nlater than December 31 of their twelfth-grade year\n\nwho are enrolled in a public or private school or\n\nstudents between thirteen (13) and seventeen (17)\n\nyears of age who are educated by other means who apply\n\nfor participation in the program in the 2025-2026\n\nschool year, the household income of the student's\n\nparent(s) is equal to or greater than seven hundred\n\npercent (700%) of the federal poverty level (FPL).\n\nb. Prior to receiving any Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram benefit award for any year during which the\n\nstudent is enrolled in an institution that is a member\n\nof The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, a\nogram in the 2025-2026\n\nschool year, the household income of the student's\n\nparent(s) is equal to or greater than seven hundred\n\npercent (700%) of the federal poverty level (FPL).\n\nb. Prior to receiving any Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram benefit award for any year during which the\n\nstudent is enrolled in an institution that is a member\n\nof The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, a\n\npostsecondary vocational-technical program offered by\n\na technology center school that meets the eligibility\n\nrequirements for federal student financial aid, or a\n\nprivate institution of higher learning located within\n\nthis state and accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of\n\nthis title, the household income of the parent(s) of a\n\nstudent who qualifies pursuant to this paragraph shall\n\nnot be equal to or greater than seven hundred percent\n\n(700%) of the federal poverty level (FPL).\n\nc. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall\n\nverify the full-time employment status of the\n\nstudent’s parent(s) prior to a student who qualifies\n\npursuant to this paragraph receiving any Oklahoma\n\nHigher Learning Access Program benefit award.\n\nd. For the purposes of this paragraph, “certified\n\nclassroom teacher” means a certified, full-time\n\nclassroom teacher who has been employed as a teacher\n\nin a public school district classroom in this state\n\nfor a minimum of ten (10) years prior to his or her\n\nchild applying for participation in the program. The\n\nteacher is not required to have been employed by the\n\nsame public school district for ten (10) consecutive\n\nyears. Certified classroom teacher does not mean a\n\ncertified teacher who is employed as a school district\n\nsuperintendent, principal, or any other position\n\nwithin the administration of a public school district\n\nwhen his or her child applies for participation in the\n\nprogram or prior to his or her child receiving any\n\nOklahoma Higher Learning Access Program benefit award.\n\nF. The financial qualification of a student as set forth in\n\nsubsections D and E of this section shall be certified by the\n\ncontact person or by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education\n\non the agreement form provided by the Oklahoma State Regents for\n\nHigher Education. The form shall be retained in the permanent\n\nrecord of the student and a copy forwarded to the Oklahoma State\n\nRegents for Higher Education.\n\nG. Agreements shall be witnessed by the parent, custodial\n\nparent, or guardian of the student, who shall further agree to:\n\n1. Assist the student in achieving compliance with the\n\nagreements;\n\n2. Confer, when requested to do so, with the school contact\n\nperson, other school personnel, and program mentors;\n\n3. Provide information requested by the Oklahoma State Regents\n\nfor Higher Education or the State Board of Education; and\n\n4. Assist the student in completing forms and reports required\n\nfor program participation, making applications to institutions and\n\nschools of higher learning, and filing applications for student\n\ngrants and scholarships.\n\nH. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall\n\npromulgate rules for the determination of student compliance with\n\nagreements made pursuant to this section.\n\nI. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall\n\ndesignate personnel to coordinate tracking of program records for\n\nthe years when students participating in the program are still in\n\nthe schools or are being educated by other means, provide staff\n\ndevelopment for contact persons in the schools, and provide liaison\n\nwith the State Board of Education and local organizations and\n\nindividuals participating in the program.\n\nJ. The school district where an Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram student is enrolled when the student begins participation in\n\nthe program and any subsequent school district where the student\n\nenrolls shall forward information regarding participation by the\n\nstudent in the program to a school to which the student transfers\nlocal organizations and\n\nindividuals participating in the program.\n\nJ. The school district where an Oklahoma Higher Learning Access\n\nProgram student is enrolled when the student begins participation in\n\nthe program and any subsequent school district where the student\n\nenrolls shall forward information regarding participation by the\n\nstudent in the program to a school to which the student transfers\n\nupon the request of the school for the records of the student.\n\nK. Students participating in the Oklahoma Higher Learning\n\nAccess Program shall provide their Social Security number or their\n\nstudent identification number used by their school to the Oklahoma\n\nState Regents for Higher Education. The State Regents shall keep\n\nthe numbers confidential and use them only for administrative\n\npurposes.\n\nL. The State Regents may provide an exception to the age limits\n\nprovided for in paragraphs 1 and 2 of subsection C of this section\n\nto a student due to hardship circumstances and allow an application\n\nto the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program for twelfth-grade\n\nstudents enrolled in a public or private school and students who are\n\neducated by other means and are in the equivalent of twelfth grade.\n\nProvided, however, the exception due to hardship circumstances shall\n\nnot apply to:\n\n1. A student enrolled in a public or private school after the\n\nstudent’s official date of high school graduation;\n\n2. A student educated by other means who is age nineteen (19)\n\nor older; or\n\n3. Any student who is age twenty-one (21) or older.\n\nThe Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall promulgate\n\nrules to implement the provisions of this subsection.","path":["OK Code","Title 70"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os70.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"615f55072b8e6c0925d1fa12118e789628e273fbd9e2e9824082dbbfc7346115","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-2604","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-2606"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}