2011 Missouri Revised Statutes
TITLE XI EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES
Chapter 173 Department of Higher Education
Section 173.727. Graduate study scholarship program--definitions--administration--eligibility--terms--renewability promulgation, procedure.

173.727. 1. There is hereby established a "Higher Education Graduate Study Scholarship Program" and any moneys appropriated by the general assembly for this program shall be used to provide scholarships for Missouri citizens to pursue graduate studies at a college or university of their choice pursuant to the provisions of this section.

2. The definitions of terms set forth in section 173.205 shall be applicable to such terms as used in this section except that the terms "approved private institution" and "approved public institution" shall, in addition, mean that those institutions offer programs of study beyond the baccalaureate degree which lead to a certificate or degree award on the graduate study level for which level of study the institution is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The terms "graduate study scholarship" or "graduate scholarship" mean an amount of money paid by the state of Missouri to a qualified college or university graduate student who has demonstrated superior academic achievement pursuant to the provisions of this section.

3. The coordinating board for higher education shall be the administrative agency for the implementation of the program established by this section, and shall:

(1) For each three-year period of academic years, beginning with the 1991-1992 academic year, and based upon manpower needs of the state of Missouri as determined by the coordinating board, designate an area or areas of graduate program certificate or degree study for which graduate study scholarships shall be awarded to qualified Missouri residents, as provided in this section, during the three-year period;

(2) Promulgate reasonable rules and regulations for the exercise of its functions and the effectuation of the purposes of this section;

(3) Prescribe the form and the time and method of awarding graduate study scholarships, and shall supervise the processing thereof; and

(4) Select qualified recipients to receive graduate study scholarships, make such awards of graduate scholarships to qualified recipients and determine the manner and method of payment to the recipient.

4. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated under the authority of this section shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of section 536.024.

5. A student shall be eligible for initial or renewed graduate scholarship if he or she is in compliance with the eligibility requirements set forth in section 173.215, excluding the requirement of financial need, provided the student is enrolled, or has been accepted for enrollment, as a full-time graduate student in an approved private or public institution and in addition meets the requirements set forth in subsections 6* and 7* of this section. However, if the number of applicants exceeds the number of scholarships or revenues available, the coordinating board for higher education may consider the financial needs of the applicant.

6. Graduate study scholarships are awarded for a period of one academic year. Initial scholarships shall be offered to Missouri residents whose scores on both the verbal and quantitative sections of the graduate record examination general test are in the top one percent of all Missouri students taking the graduate record examination during the academic year in which the test was taken, or who achieve, to the satisfaction of the coordinating board for higher education, an equivalent score on an equivalent graduate or professional examination. Graduate scholarship recipients are required to maintain a full-time student status.

7. Initial graduate study scholarships are renewable for one additional academic year provided the recipient makes satisfactory graduate degree progress as a full-time student and provided that the program of study for which the scholarship is awarded requires an additional year of study to meet minimum requirements, exclusive of thesis, dissertation or experiential project. Graduate study scholarships are also renewable for uninterrupted progression of study from one level of graduate degree to the next higher level of degree study and may further be renewed for one additional academic year under the same criteria as provided for initial scholarship renewal.

8. A student who is enrolled or has been accepted for enrollment as a graduate student, at an approved private or public institution, in a program study area designated as eligible by the coordinating board for higher education, beginning with the fall, 1991, term and who meets the other eligibility requirements for a graduate study scholarship shall, within the limits of the funds appropriated and made available, be offered a graduate study scholarship in the amount of two thousand dollars, which scholarship shall be renewable as provided in this section.

(L. 1990 H.B. 1142 9, A.L. 1993 S.B. 52, A.L. 1995 S.B. 3)

*Subsections "12 and 13" appear in original rolls, changed due to renumbering.

Annotation Copyright Missouri Joint Committee on Legislative Research