(Effective through July 31, 2030) 1.     a.    The state board of higher education shall provide to any student certified as being eligible by the superintendent of public instruction a North Dakota scholarship, a North Dakota academic scholarship, or a North Dakota career and technical education scholarship in the amount of seven hundred fifty dollars for each semester during which the student is enrolled full time at an accredited institution of higher education with a physical presence in this state, maintains a cumulative grade point average of 2.75, and maintains progress toward program completion.

b.    The state board of higher education shall provide to any student certified as being eligible by the superintendent of public instruction a North Dakota scholarship, a    North Dakota academic scholarship, or a North Dakota career and technical education scholarship in the amount of five hundred dollars for each quarter or clock-hour term during which the student is enrolled full time at an accredited institution of higher education with a physical presence in this state or an accredited private career school with a physical presence in this state, maintains a cumulative grade point average of 2.75, and maintains progress toward program completion.

c.    The state board of higher education shall provide to any student certified as being eligible by the superintendent of public instruction a North Dakota scholarship, a North Dakota academic scholarship, or a North Dakota career and technical education scholarship in the amount of five hundred dollars each term if the student is enrolled in a qualifying registered apprenticeship program within this state. The state board of higher education and the state board for career and technical education shall establish:

(1) Procedures to administer the scholarship; (2) Requirements for eligibility, including full-time enrollment, program progress, and a minimum grade point average or its equivalency; and

(3) A payment schedule.

2.    The state board shall monitor each scholarship recipient to ensure that the student meets the academic and other requirements of this section. Upon determining a recipient student has failed to meet the requirements of this section, the board shall provide notification to the student within ten business days.

3.    A student is not entitled to receive more than six thousand dollars under this section.

4.    The state board of higher education shall forward the scholarship directly to the institution in which the student is enrolled.

5.     a.    This section does not require a student to be enrolled in consecutive semesters, quarters, or clock-hour terms.

b.    A scholarship under this section is valid only for six academic years after the student’s graduation from high school and may be applied to a graduate or professional program.

6.    A scholarship under this section is available to any eligible resident student who fulfills the requirements of section 15.1-21-02.4, section 15.1-21-02.5, or section 15.1-21-02.10 and who:

a.    Graduates from a high school in this state; b.    Graduates from a high school in a bordering state under chapter 15.1-29; c.    Graduates from a nonpublic high school in a bordering state while residing with a custodial parent in this state; or

d.    Completes a program of home education supervised in accordance with chapter 15.1-23.

7.     a.    For purposes of North Dakota scholarship eligibility under this section, “full-time” has the same meaning as the term is defined by the institution the student is attending.

b.    A student who is enrolled less than full-time may retain scholarship eligibility if the student is in the final semester, quarter, or clock-hour term before program completion. The waiver of the full-time enrollment status requirement for scholarship eligibility may not apply to a student more than once.

c.    For the purpose of North Dakota scholarship eligibility under this section, “progress toward program completion” means earning the following minimum number of credits after each semester, quarter, or clock-hour term disbursement to qualify for the subsequent disbursement:

(1) Twenty-four credits after disbursement two; (2) Thirty-nine credits after disbursement three; (3) Fifty-four credits after disbursement four; (4) Sixty-nine credits after disbursement five; (5) Eighty-four credits after disbursement six; and

(6) Ninety-nine credits after disbursement seven.

8.    For purposes of scholarship eligibility under this section, “clock-hour term” has the same meaning as the term is defined by the state board of higher education. The state board of higher education shall determine the conversion of:

a.    Clock hours to credit hours; and

b.    Percentage-based grading to grade point average.