As used in the Graduate Scholarship Act:

A. “academic year” means any consecutive period of two semesters, three quarters or other comparable units commencing with the fall term each year;

B. “award recipient” means a student awarded a graduate scholarship; C. “department” means the higher education department;

D. “eligible institution” means any graduate-degree-granting state university accredited by the north central association of colleges and secondary schools;

E. “graduate and professional field” means any program of study intended to result in a master’s or doctoral degree, excluding the degree in medicine; and

F. “groups underrepresented in graduate education” means women, minorities, persons with a visual impairment or other physical disability and other groups who have traditionally been underrepresented in the specific area of graduate study or profession for which the scholarship is awarded.