§ 21-16-1312 — Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship; eligibility requirements and conditions; selection

(a) There is created the Hathaway expand Wyoming
scholarship. The scholarship shall be administered by the
department in accordance with this section and rules adopted by
the department. Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship recipients
shall be selected by a committee comprised of the governor,
state superintendent of public instruction, president of the
University of Wyoming and executive director of the community
college commission, or their designees.
(b) Each year up to two (2) students from each state
contiguous to Wyoming may be awarded a Hathaway expand Wyoming
scholarship, not to exceed an aggregate of twenty-four (24)
active awards at any time. Awards of Hathaway expand Wyoming
scholarships shall be contingent on available funds and
anticipated revenue to the Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship
expenditure account. Minimum initial qualifications for a
Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship shall be all initial
requirements applicable to a Hathaway honor scholarship, other
than Wyoming residency and graduation from a high school located
in Wyoming. In addition to those requirements, recipients shall
have:
(i) A minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.75 and
a score equal to or greater than the 2015-2016 national
percentile rank of ninety-seven (97) on an examination
administered throughout the United States and relied upon by
institutions of higher education to determine acceptance of
students for attendance;
(ii) At the time of graduation, be a resident of a
state contiguous to Wyoming and have successfully completed a
curriculum at least as stringent as that imposed under W.S. 21-
16-1307 for Hathaway honor scholarships.
(c) A Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship shall be for the
student's cost of attendance at an eligible institution, but not
to exceed the maximum dollar amount provided to students
receiving a trustee scholarship at the University of Wyoming and
subject to reduction in accordance with W.S. 21-16-1309(a). No
student shall be eligible for a Hathaway expand Wyoming
scholarship for more than the equivalent of eight (8) full-time
semesters. Minimum continuing eligibility and reinstatement
eligibility requirements for a Hathaway expand Wyoming
scholarship shall be the same as requirements for a Hathaway
honors scholarship. These minimum requirements may be increased
by rule of the department to requirements no more stringent than
those imposed by the University of Wyoming for recipients of a
trustee scholarship. Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarships may
be reduced in the same manner and to lower levels as provided
for Hathaway honor scholarships for failure to meet continuing
eligibility requirements.
(d) Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarships shall not be
subject to the provisions of W.S. 21-16-1308, but shall be
administered by the department in accordance with the provisions
of this section and the following:
(i) The department shall, in consultation with
University of Wyoming and community college admissions officers
and financial aid officers, promulgate rules necessary to
implement this section. The consultation shall include
development of a means for informing students in contiguous
states of the availability of Hathaway expand Wyoming
scholarships;
(ii) Eligible institutions shall provide information
required by the department as necessary to fulfill its duties
under this section;
(iii) Students shall apply for Hathaway expand
Wyoming scholarships with the department at the time of applying
for admission or at an earlier time as established by rule of
the department. The application shall contain information
required by rule of the department. The application shall
require each applicant to verify under penalty of false swearing
under W.S. 6-5-303, that the applicant has not been convicted of
a felony in this state or another jurisdiction;
(iv) The department shall determine and certify to
the state treasurer the amount of scholarships awarded under
this section for attendance at each eligible institution not
later than September 1 for the fall semester and not later than
January 15 for the spring semester. Upon receipt of the
certification the state treasurer shall pay from the scholarship
expenditure account the amount certified by the department;
(v) The same information required to be reported
under W.S. 21-16-1308 for Hathaway opportunity, performance and
honor scholarships shall be reported for Hathaway expand Wyoming
scholarships awarded.
(e) Before awarding a Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship,
the department shall obtain an agreement from each student, or
the student's guardian, under which the student agrees to:
(i) Actively engage in work in Wyoming for one (1)
year or attend graduate school at the University of Wyoming for
one (1) year, for every four (4) academic semesters or portions
thereof in which a Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship was
received. The department shall establish by rule the
commencement of the period for undertaking the requirements of
this paragraph, which period shall begin not later than one (1)
year after the completion of the last semester in which a
Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship was received; or
(ii) Repay all Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship
amounts, together with interest which shall begin accruing four
(4) years after execution of the agreement. However, interest
shall begin to accrue immediately upon the department
determining that the student has withdrawn from the Wyoming
institution of higher education or is otherwise not making
satisfactory academic progress toward completion of a degree or
program. Money expended under this section shall accrue at an
annual interest rate equal to that charged for federal direct
student loans at the time interest begins to accrue, which rate
shall be adjusted annually to match the federal direct student
loan rate. In no event shall the interest rate be greater than
eight percent (8%). Any amounts repaid by Hathaway expand
Wyoming scholarship recipients shall be deposited to the
Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship endowment fund created by
W.S. 9-4-204(u)(viii).
(f) The Hathaway expand Wyoming scholarship expenditure
account is created to consist of earnings from the Hathaway
expand Wyoming scholarship endowment fund created by W.S. 9-4-
204(u)(viii) and such other funds appropriated by the
legislature to the expenditure account. No state funds shall be
appropriated to the expenditure account or used for scholarships
under this section. The monies deposited to the expenditure
account under this subsection shall be available for
scholarships under this section. Monies within the expenditure
account are continuously appropriated to the state treasurer for
distribution to eligible institutions based on scholarships
awarded under this section. All unexpended and unencumbered
monies within the expenditure account at the end of each fiscal
year shall be deposited by the state treasurer to the Hathaway
expand Wyoming scholarship endowment fund.