Ala. Admin. Code r. 300-4-3-.01 - Definition Of Terms
(1)
Academic Progress - A student must make satisfactory academic progress in an
eligible program at an approved institution in order to receive an Alabama
Student Grant Program (ASGP) payment. No institution shall permit a student to
receive ASGP funds when a student's projected completion date does not comply
with the Code of Federal Regulations definitions of maximum time frame for
his/her program of study, as defined in 34CFR 6689.34.
(2) Academic Qualifications of Eligible
Students - A student is considered academically qualified if he/she is
currently enrolled and matriculated in an eligible program of an eligible
institution. It is considered that current enrollment by the institution has
been based upon satisfactory demonstration to the institution of probable
successful completion of the program. Satisfactory academic progress by a
student shall be evaluated in terms of all course work attempted and all course
hours for which ASGP payments were issued, whether or not credit hours were
received by the student.
(3)
Academic Year - The academic year for Alabama Student Grant Program purposes is
from October 1 of one year to September 30 of the next year.
(4) Alabama Resident - A person who has been
domiciled in the State of Alabama for a period of at least twelve (12)
consecutive months immediately preceding application for a grant under the
Alabama Student Grant Program. Any student in Alabama only for purposes of
attending an Alabama postsecondary educational institution shall not be
eligible for a grant. Upon submission of an application, two (2) proofs of
residency must be provided and preserved in the student's award file as support
for the claim of Alabama residency. The two proofs may be selected from the
following list:
(a) Certification by the
student of his/her permanent Alabama residence;
(b) Certification by the student's parents or
guardians of their permanent Alabama residence;
(c) Certification of the student's Alabama
voter registration;
(d)
Certification of the student's parents' or guardians' Alabama voter
registration;
(e) A photocopy of
the student's or parent's (guardian's) valid Alabama driver's license;
(f) Evidence of full-time
employment by the student or parents (guardians) within Alabama for the
preceding twelve (12) months;
(g)
Evidence of payment of income tax to the State of Alabama by the student or
parents (guardians) for the preceding calendar year;
(h) Evidence of home ownership or ownership
of other real property in Alabama by the student or parents
(guardians);
(i) Evidence of
graduation from an Alabama secondary school, or a copy of a State of Alabama
High School Equivalency Certificate; and
(5) Approved Institution - An approved
institution is an independent, nonprofit postsecondary institution of higher
learning located in the State of Alabama or any independent postsecondary
institution of higher learning with a permanent facility offering classroom
instruction located in Montgomery County, Alabama, which has been incorporated
and in continuous operation for over 50 years and which has been accredited for
over 10 years by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools, prior to the effective date of amendatory act contained
in AL ACT 2010-686 which with the exception specifically cited immediately
above, and:
(a) Has its principal base of
operation located within the State of Alabama;
(b) Is accredited by the Commission on
Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or, if not so
accredited,
1. Is classified in an exemption
status and is licensed to operate in the State of Alabama by the State
Approving agency of the Alabama Community College System Office or its
successor agency; and
2. Is an
institution where credits are currently accepted, on transfer, by at least
three (3) institutions within Alabama and which are accredited by the
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools.
(c) Files a
signed agreement with ACHE to comply with all regulations and procedures of the
Alabama Student Grant Program;
(d)
Has an academic curriculum which is not comprised principally of sectarian
instruction or preparation of students for a sectarian vocation;
(e) Does not award primarily theological or
religious degrees;
(f) Performs
essentially secular educational functions which are distinct and separable from
religious activity;
(g) Does not
discriminate in its admissions practices on the basis of religious or
denominational preference; and
(h)
Does not, during the applicable fiscal year, receive a direct institutional
appropriation from the State of Alabama.
(6) Eligible Program - An eligible program is
a nonsectarian, secular educational program of at least six (6) months
duration.
(7) Eligible Student - An
eligible student is an applicant for a grant under the Alabama Student Grant
Program who:
(a) Has obtained a certificate of
graduation from a secondary school or the recognized equivalent of such
graduation;
(b) Is classified as an
undergraduate student;
(c) Is an
Alabama resident;
(d) Is a citizen
of the United States or in the process of becoming a citizen of the United
States;
(e) Is enrolled as a
full-time student or part-time student in an eligible program in an approved
institution leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate;
(f) Is making satisfactory academic progress;
and
(g) Is not enrolled, and does
not intend to enroll, in a course of study leading to an undergraduate degree
in theology, divinity, or other field of preparation for a religious
vocation.
(8) False
Statement of Misrepresentation - Any person who knowingly makes or furnishes
any false statement or misrepresentation, or who accepts such false statement
or misrepresentation knowing the same to be false, for the purpose of enabling
an individual or institution to obtain monies wrongfully under this program,
shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be
subject to a fine or to imprisonment, or to both, as such misdemeanor is
defined in Act No. 607, S. 33 of the 1977 Regular Session (Acts 1977, Vol. 11,
p. 812).
(9) Full-Time Student - A
full-time student is defined as an eligible student who is carrying a full-time
academic workload, other than by correspondence, measured in terms of course
work or other required activities, including courses, work experience, research
or special studies which the institution requires of the student to be
considered as being engaged in full-time study, and which amount to the
equivalent of a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours or twelve (12) quarter
hours per academic term; or the student is charged the tuition and fees for
full-time study by the institution. For purposes of this program, no more than
one course [with a maximum of four (4) credit hours] per academic term for
courses in religion or theology shall be considered when calculating a
student's full-time status.
(10)
Grant - A grant is a monetary award of a maximum of $3000 per academic year for
full-time recipients, and a maximum of $1,500 per academic year for half-time
recipients, under the Alabama Student Grant Program, to an approved institution
on behalf of and to the credit of eligible students enrolled in eligible
programs commencing after August 1, 1989.
(11) Half-time Student - A half-time student
is defined as an eligible student who is carrying a half-time academic
workload, other than by correspondence, measured in terms of course work or
other required activities, including courses, work experience, research, or
special studies which the institution requires of the student to be considered
as being engaged in half-time study, and which amounts to the equivalent of a
minimum of six (6) semester hours or six (6) quarter hours per academic term;
or the student is charged the tuition and fees for half-time study by the
institution. Any student enrolled for less than the equivalent of six (6)
semester hours or six (6) quarter hours is ineligible for an Alabama Student
Grant Program payment. For purposes of this program, no more than one course
(with a maximum of four (4) credit hours per academic term for courses in
religion and theology) shall be considered when calculating a student's
half-time status.
(12)
Institutional-Related Expenses - Institutional- related expenses are
nonsectarian, secular educational expenses, including tuition, mandatory fees,
room and board, transportation, books and supplies, and routine miscellaneous
expenses incurred by an eligible student.
(13) Proration of Funds - Should funds
appropriated to the Alabama Student Grant Program be insufficient to provide
such eligible student with a full grant payment for any term(s) during an
academic year, each eligible student shall receive a pro rata grant share of
the available funds.
(14) Renewal
of Grants - Upon completion of an initial application, each grant may be
automatically renewed annually for the number of hours normally required by the
institution for the course of study in which the individual student is enrolled
as long as the student is continuously enrolled. Total hours attempted shall
not exceed by more than twenty-five percent (25%) the number of hours required
for the individual student's course of study or until such time as the student
receives a baccalaureate degree. ACHE shall grant a renewal only upon the
student's annual application as defined in these regulations.
(15) Transfer Student - Each Alabama Student
Grant Program award is made on the basis of the student applicant attending the
postsecondary educational institution listed on his/her student application
form. A student grant recipient who elects to transfer to another educational
institution may apply for a new grant in accordance with the student
application procedures. The original grant will automatically be cancelled. An
Alabama Student Grant Program award is not transferable from one educational
institution to another.
(16)
Undergraduate Student - An undergraduate student is an eligible student who is
in attendance at an approved institution and has not earned a baccalaureate or
professional degree. Students who have previously earned a baccalaureate or
professional degree, even though they may be enrolled in an undergraduate
course of study, are not eligible for an Alabama Student Grant Program
grant.
(17) Continuous Enrollment -
a student who takes courses each major term (i.e. Fall and Spring Semesters or
Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters).
Notes
Authors: Joseph T. Sutton, Henry J. Hector, Tim Vick
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, ยงยง 16-33A-1, et seq.
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