(2) The commission may:

(a) Award an initial Oregon Roadmap to Language Excellence Scholarship for up to $2,000 to a qualified student who:

(A) Is a United States citizen or a noncitizen legally residing in the United States;

(B) Has received a diploma from a high school in this state or the equivalent;

(C) Is attending an eligible post-secondary institution in this state;

(D) Is pursuing an Associate of Arts or more advanced degree; and

(E) Demonstrates proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in a natural, human-based language other than English, excluding computer-based languages, musical notation and Esperanto.

(b) Award a subsequent Oregon Roadmap to Language Excellence Scholarship for up to $2,000 to a student receiving a scholarship under paragraph (a) of this subsection who has demonstrated a measurable gain of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing skills in the same language for which the scholarship was awarded during the previous academic year.

(c) Award a reduced subsequent Oregon Roadmap to Language Excellence Scholarship to a student receiving a scholarship under paragraph (a) of this subsection who has not demonstrated a measurable gain of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing skills in the same language for which the scholarship was awarded during the previous academic year. The reduced scholarship is for $500 less than the amount of the scholarship awarded the previous academic year. The commission may not award a reduced subsequent scholarship for consecutive academic years.

(3) The maximum amount of scholarships awarded to a person under this section may not exceed $8,000.

(4) The commission may award scholarships under this section to a person for the year of the initial scholarship and the next three consecutive years. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission shall adopt rules allowing a waiver of the requirement that the scholarships be awarded in consecutive years for students with approved leaves of absence for appropriate reasons such as illness, emergency, military service and other appropriate reasons as determined by the commission.

(5) The commission may not award scholarships under this section to a student who is enrolled in a course of study required for and leading to a degree in theology, divinity or religious education.

(6) The Higher Education Coordinating Commission shall adopt rules:

(a) Establishing priority for Oregon Roadmap to Language Excellence Scholarships when funds are not available to award scholarships to all qualified students.

(b) Setting standards for appropriate levels of language proficiency and improved language proficiency needed for eligible students to qualify for scholarships under this section.

(c) Choosing an assessment method for measuring language proficiency in speaking, reading and writing for the purposes of paragraph (b) of this subsection. The assessment method must comply with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency guidelines, and must measure only Intermediate-Mid level language skills and higher. [2011 c.358 §1; 2013 c.747 §97]

Note: 348.285 is repealed June 30, 2021. See sections 27 and 28, chapter 384, Oregon Laws 2019.

Note: 348.285 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 348 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.