21-16-1301. Definitions.

(a) As used in this article:

(i) "Academic term" means the fall semester or term or the spring semester or term. In this article, "term" and "semester" have the same meaning except that recipients may elect to use the scholarship during summer school, which except as provided by W.S. 21-16-1304(h) and 21-16-1305(e), counts toward the maximum number of terms for which the student is eligible but does not count toward computation of an academic year;

(ii) "Academic year" means two (2) consecutive semesters or terms and is the period of time a full-time student is expected to complete the equivalent of at least two (2) semesters of academic work;

(iii) Repealed by Laws 2016, ch. 15, § 2.

(iv) "Certificate" means a credential other than a degree as defined in paragraph (vi) of this subsection. A "certificate" is either an associate of applied science degree or indicates satisfactory completion of training in an academic year program of study offered by a Wyoming community college;

(v) "Cost of attendance" means the sum cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, books and supplies, travel and personal expenses to attend an eligible institution as determined annually by the institution in accordance with W.S. 21-16-1306(b);

(vi) "Degree" means a baccalaureate, an associate degree other than a certificate and a graduate or professional degree;

(vii) "Department" means the Wyoming department of education;

(viii) "Eligible high school" means a public or private secondary school that is located in Wyoming and is accredited or licensed by the department or is exempt from licensure pursuant to W.S. 21-2-406(a)(i);

(ix) "Eligible institution" means the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college;

(x) "Equivalent of a full-time semester" means twelve (12) semester hours in a semester;

(xi) "Expenditure account" means the Hathaway scholarship expenditure account established under W.S. 21-16-1302;

(xii) "Grade point average" or "GPA" means the numbered grade average calculated using a 4.0 scale and, beginning school year 2018-2019 and each school year thereafter, for determining initial scholarship eligibility only, shall include a measure to account for academic rigor of courses in accordance with rule and regulation of the department;

(xiii) "Graduate of an out-of-state high school" means a person attending and graduating from an out-of-state high school pursuant to W.S. 21-4-501 or 21-4-505(a);

(xiv) "Satisfactory academic progress" means completing at least six (6) semester hours per semester if enrolled for less than twelve (12) semester hours and completing at least twelve (12) semester hours per semester if enrolled for twelve (12) or more semester hours, and meeting such other criteria as established by the eligible institution to ensure the student earns his degree or certificate in a timely manner. The student's hours of enrollment for purposes of this paragraph shall be the same number of hours of enrollment used to determine the state's obligation to reimburse the eligible institution for the student's scholarship under this article. Satisfactory academic progress shall be determined annually following the spring semester, but a student's scholarship may be reinstated pursuant to W.S. 21-16-1304(f)(i) or 21-16-1305(d)(i) following any semester or summer school session;

(xv) "Scholarship" means an award provided pursuant to W.S. 21-16-1304, 21-16-1305 or 21-16-1306;

(xvi) "Semester hour" means each nonremedial semester hour attempted for credit toward a postsecondary degree or certificate;

(xvii) "Title IV" means Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended;

(xviii) "Unmet financial need" means the cost of attendance minus the sum of expected family contribution and all federal, state, local, institutional and privately funded scholarships or grants received by the student, all as determined by the eligible institution. The institution shall use the most recent federal free application for federal student aid form to determine expected family contribution and shall do so annually in accordance with W.S. 21-16-1306(b);

(xix) "Career-technical aptitude assessment score" means qualifying scores on an assessment measuring fundamental workplace skills. The department shall specify by rule and regulation a career-technical aptitude assessment test to be used;

(xx) "National percentile rank" means the percentage of scores that fall at or below a given score on a standardized college entrance examination. For purposes of this article, the national percentile ranks are the foundation of an equi-percentile linking method, based on student performance in school year 2015-2016, to determine the scores required on a standardized college entrance examination for scholarship eligibility.