(a) There are five avenues by which to
qualify for the Academic Scholars Program. Each is defined below:
(1) An Individual Applicant Qualified
Student, which shall mean a student who is a resident of the State of Oklahoma
whose ACT test score or whose Scholastic Aptitude Test score falls within the
99.5 to 100.0 percentile levels as administered in the State of Oklahoma and
whose grade-point average and/or class rank is exceptional, as determined by
the State Regents,
(2) A
Presidential Scholar, which shall mean a student selected by the Commission on
Presidential Scholars pursuant to the Presidential Scholars Program
administered by the United States Department of Education,
(3) A National Merit Scholar, which shall
mean a student designated as a National Merit Scholar by the National Merit
Scholarship Corporation,
(4) A
National Merit Finalist, which shall mean a student designated as a National
Merit Finalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
(5) An Institutional Nominee, which shall
mean a student nominated by an institution in The Oklahoma State System of
Higher Education whose ACT test score or whose Scholastic Aptitude Test score
falls within the 95.0 to 99.49 percentile levels, or who shows exceptional
academic achievement as evidenced by factors including but not limited to grade
point average, class rank, national awards, scholastic achievements, honors,
and who shows exceptional promise based on documentation that may include but
not be limited to teacher recommendations, extracurricular activities, and
evidence of overcoming economic and social obstacles as determined by the State
Regents. The State Regents shall ensure that standards of high academic ability
are documented. Scholarship awards to institutional nominees become effective
when appropriate documentation is verified by the State Regents.
(A) Effective with the Fall 2020 semester,
Institutional Nominees are required to meet at least one of the three minimum
criteria outlined below to be considered eligible for application as an
Institutional Nominee:
(i) Research
universities:
(I) ACT: 32 or SAT
equivalent
(II) GPA 3.9 and either
Top 2% Class Rank or rank of first or second in their graduating
class
(III) GPA 3.9 and 30 ACT or
SAT equivalent
(ii)
Regional universities:
(I) ACT: 30 or SAT
equivalent
(II) GPA 3.8 and either
Top 4% Class Rank or rank of first or second in their graduating
class
(III) GPA 3.8 and 28 ACT or
SAT equivalent
(iii)
Two-year colleges:
(I) ACT: 29 or SAT
equivalent
(II) GPA 3.7 and either
Top 5% Class Rank or rank of first or second in their graduating
class
(III) GPA 3.7 and 26 ACT or
SAT equivalent
(B) Home-educated students shall be
considered for eligibility as an Institutional nominee based on minimum
criteria (I) and (III) in sections (a)(5)(A)(i), (a)(5)(A)(ii), and
(a)(5)(A)(iii), above.
(C) Students
are eligible for consideration as an Institutional Nominee no later than the
fall semester immediately following the graduation of their high school class.
The Chancellor may approve exceptions to this requirement for extraordinary
circumstances.
(D) Institutional
Nominees may be Oklahoma residents or nonresidents.
(E) Students receiving the scholarship as an
Institutional Nominee of a two-year college are eligible for transfer to a
four-year public or private Oklahoma institution after completion of an
associate's degree or the accumulation of at least 48 credit hours. In
addition, the Institutional Nominee of a two-year college must attend the
nominating institution for the first year.
(F) Students receiving the scholarship as an
Institutional Nominee of a four-year university are eligible for transfer to
another Oklahoma institution after one year of attendance at the nominating
institution.
(G) For any year that
the State Regents provide less than full funding of the total cost of all
awards for nonresident students participating in the program, nonresident
students may transfer the scholarship to another institution only upon approval
of the institution to which they intend to transfer.
(H) Students who fail to enroll the first
semester upon nomination forfeit their scholarship eligibility.
(I) Institutions may not replace students who
forfeit their scholarship or are removed from the program due to failure to
meet continuing eligibility requirements with another nominee.