(a) The commission shall accept nominations from accredited colleges and universities made pursuant to Section 69618.1.

(b) The commission shall choose from among those nominations deemed financially needy with outstanding student loans pursuant to Article 1.5 (commencing with Section 69503) based upon criteria that may include the following:

Terms Used In California Education Code 69618.5

(1) Grades at the undergraduate level in the subject field in which the student intends to complete graduate work.

(2) Grades in the undergraduate program.

(3) Aptitude for graduate work in the subject fields.

(4) General aptitude for graduate study.

(5) Critical human resource needs.

(c) The commission may develop additional criteria for the selection of award recipients consistent with the purposes of this article.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 330, Sec. 32. Effective August 21, 1998.)