(a) Program participants shall meet all of the following eligibility criteria prior to selection in the program and shall continue to meet these criteria, as appropriate, during the payment periods:

(1) The participant shall be a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen.

(2) The participant shall be a California resident attending an eligible school or college.

(3) The participant shall be making satisfactory academic progress.

(4) The participant shall have complied with United States Selective Service requirements.

(5) The participant shall not owe a refund on any state or federal educational grant or have delinquent or defaulted student loans.

(b) Any person enrolled in an institution of postsecondary education and participating in the loan assumption program set forth in this article may be eligible to receive a conditional warrant for loan assumption, to be redeemed pursuant to Section 69618.2 upon becoming employed as a full-time faculty member at a California college or university or the equivalent of full-time service as a faculty member employed part-time at two or more California colleges or universities.

(c) (1) The commission shall award warrants to students with demonstrated academic ability and financial need, as determined by the commission pursuant to Article 1.5 (commencing with Section 69503).

(2) The applicant shall have completed a baccalaureate degree program or be enrolled in an academic program leading to a baccalaureate level or a graduate level degree.

(3) The applicant shall be currently enrolled in or admitted to a program in which he or she will be enrolled on at least a half-time basis each academic term as defined by an eligible institution. The applicant shall agree to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

(4) The applicant shall have been judged by his or her postsecondary institution to have outstanding ability on the basis of criteria that may include, but need not be limited to, any of the following:

(A) Grade point average.

(B) Test scores.

(C) Faculty evaluations.

(D) Interviews.

(E) Other recommendations.

(5) In order to meet the costs of obtaining a graduate degree, the applicant shall have received, or be approved to receive, a loan under one or more of the following designated loan programs:

(A) The Federal Family Education Loan Program (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1071 et seq.).

(B) Any loan program approved by the commission.

(6) The applicant shall have agreed to teach on a full-time basis at one or more accredited California colleges or universities for at least three consecutive years after obtaining a graduate degree.

(7) An applicant who teaches on less than a full-time basis may participate in the program, but is not eligible for loan repayment until that person teaches for the equivalent of a full-time academic year.

(d) A person participating in the program pursuant to this section shall not receive more than one warrant.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 460, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2001.)