21-16-1305. Hathaway provisional opportunity scholarships.

(a) Any student who meets the criteria under W.S. 21-16-1303 is eligible to receive a Hathaway provisional opportunity scholarship to pursue a certificate or degree as follows:

(i) With a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 2.50 and either a score equal to or greater than the 2015-2016 national percentile rank of thirty (30) on a college entrance examination administered throughout the United States and relied upon by institutions of higher education to determine acceptance of students for attendance or a qualifying cumulative score on a career-technical aptitude test as determined by the department, a scholarship for:

(A) Eight hundred forty dollars ($840.00) per semester at a Wyoming community college if enrolled for twelve (12) or more semester hours;

(B) The amount provided under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph times a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of hours for which the student is enrolled and the denominator is twelve (12), if enrolled at a Wyoming community college for at least six (6) and less than twelve (12) semester hours.

(ii) Scholarships under paragraph (i) of this subsection shall be for a maximum of the equivalent of four (4) full-time semesters;

(iii) A student who receives a scholarship under paragraph (i) of this subsection and who earns a certificate from the community college with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 may extend the provisional opportunity scholarship to pursue either a certificate or a degree at a Wyoming community college or if the student earns a degree from the community college with a minimum GPA of 2.25, may extend the scholarship to pursue a degree at the University of Wyoming if the student maintains a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 and otherwise remains eligible for a scholarship under this article. A student who receives a scholarship under paragraph (i) of this subsection, is enrolled in a community college applied baccalaureate program and has received a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 after four (4) full-time semesters may extend the provisional opportunity scholarship for an additional four (4) full-time semesters to complete the baccalaureate degree if the student maintains a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 and otherwise remains eligible for a scholarship under this article. The scholarship under this paragraph shall be for the same amounts and subject to the same limitations as provided for scholarships under paragraph (a)(i) of this section, except that the student may continue a baccalaureate program or pursue either an additional certificate or a degree and the student may use this scholarship while attending a Wyoming community college or the University of Wyoming.

(b) To remain eligible for the scholarship award under this section, the student shall:

(i) Except as provided by W.S. 21-16-1303(f) and subsection (e) of this section, make satisfactory academic progress toward a certificate or degree. If a student fails to make satisfactory academic progress or maintain the cumulative grade point average required for continuation in the program provided in paragraph (iii) of this subsection, the student shall become ineligible for the scholarship in subsequent semesters unless granted an exception for cause by the department or except as otherwise provided in subsection (d) of this section. The department may delegate to any eligible institution the department's authority to grant an exception for cause, but shall only do so in accordance with department rules establishing procedures and criteria for granting an exception and any eligible institution acting pursuant to such delegation shall grant exceptions only in accordance with those rules;

(ii) Except as provided by W.S. 21-16-1303(f) and subsections (d) and (e) of this section, maintain continuous enrollment for not less than two (2) semesters in each successive academic year. The department shall by rule and regulation establish exceptions to the requirement of this paragraph for military service, religious service and other good cause shown; and

(iii) Maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.25 GPA, as evaluated at the end of each spring academic term for certificates or degrees that require more than one (1) academic year.

(c) The cumulative grade point average required under this section to maintain a scholarship shall be the student's grade point average achieved at all eligible institutions after the student's initial eligibility as determined under W.S. 21-16-1303(d).

(d) If a student is otherwise eligible under this article and neither the applicable number of full-time equivalent semesters nor the maximum scholarship eligibility time period specified under paragraph (a)(ii) of this section and W.S. 21-16-1303(d), including semesters for which a scholarship was not received, has been reached, a scholarship under this section which is lost may be reinstated if the student meets the applicable requirements imposed by this subsection and successfully completes courses at an eligible institution in a summer school session for which the student enrolled in at least six (6) semester hours or an academic term occurring during the period the scholarship is lost. A lost scholarship shall be reinstated in the first academic term following the academic term or summer school session during which the student:

(i) Attains satisfactory academic progress as defined by W.S. 21-16-1301(a)(xiv) for a scholarship lost for failure to meet the requirements of paragraph (b)(i) of this section; or

(ii) Achieves the cumulative grade point average required under paragraph (b)(iii) of this section for a scholarship lost for failure to meet the requirements of paragraph (b)(iii) of this section; or

(iii) For a scholarship lost for failure to meet the requirements of paragraph (b)(ii) of this section, enrolls and completes one (1) academic term as a full-time or part-time student, whichever is applicable, occurring during the period in which the scholarship is lost.

(e) Notwithstanding subparagraph (a)(i)(B) of this section, the scholarship amount awarded to any eligible student may be available to that student, upon election, for enrollment in up to six (6) semester hours during any summer academic term or other academic term offered by an eligible institution outside of the regular fall or spring semester, subject to the following:

(i) The amount provided under subparagraph (a)(i)(A) of this section for enrollment in up to six (6) hours during any summer term or other academic term offered by an eligible institution shall be available in an amount equal to the proportion of the per semester scholarship amount that the number of semester hours enrolled bears to twelve (12);

(ii) The computation under paragraph (i) of this subsection shall be based upon that scholarship amount for which the student is qualified under this section at the time of his enrollment in the summer or other academic term pursuant to this subsection;

(iii) The amount paid under this subsection shall be included in computing the student's total maximum scholarship amount under this section, as applied to that scholarship amount for which the student qualifies under this section at the time of his last eligible academic semester or semesters, as applicable;

(iv) Scholarships under this subsection shall not be included in computations for that student's six (6) academic year limitation on his scholarship under this section, his four (4) year full-time semester equivalency limitation or extension thereof under paragraph (a)(iii) of this section, his satisfactory academic progress requirements under paragraph (b)(i) of this section, his continuous enrollment requirements under paragraph (b)(ii) of this section or in reinstating lost scholarships under paragraph (d)(iii) of this section;

(v) The student's hours of enrollment under this subsection shall be used to determine the state's obligation to reimburse the eligible institution for the student's scholarship as applied under this subsection, subject to W.S. 21-16-1308(a)(v) and rules and regulations of the department.