Wyoming school administrators scholarship fund.

WORKING DRAFT
2005
STATE OF WYOMING
05LSO-0374

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0147

Wyoming school administrators scholarship fund.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s)
Wasserburger

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to a scholarship program for prospective school administrators; establishing a scholarship program through the University of Wyoming; specifying terms and conditions; requiring an annual report regarding benefits to Wyoming students and school districts provided by scholarship recipients; providing a termination date; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 21
‑
17
‑
116 is created to read:

21
‑
17
‑
116.

Wyoming school administrators scholarship fund created; eligibility criteria; procedures; reports; termination date.

(a)

There is created the Wyoming school administrators scholarship fund which shall be administered by the University of Wyoming. The purpose of the scholarship fund is to increase the number of persons qualified to serve as administrators in Wyoming public education. Eligible scholarship applicants shall be residents of this state who are employed by a Wyoming school district and who have not less than three (3) years of experience in Wyoming public education.

(b)

To qualify for a scholarship under this section, the applicant shall:

(i)

Submit an application to the university financial aid office on a form prescribed by the office developed in consultation with the college of education; and

(ii)

Be accepted into one (1) of the following programs within the college of education at the university:

(A)

Principal endorsement program;

(B)

Master's degree program for principal preparation; or

(C)

Doctoral degree program in education leadership.

(c)

To the extent funds are appropriated by the legislature to the program created under this section, scholarships shall be granted to applicants subject to the following:

(i)

Scholarships shall be awarded by the university through the college of education by a committee appointed by the college dean for that purpose. The committee shall consider the extent of the applicant’s employment experience in education and the applicant’s interest in pursuing a career in educational administration in Wyoming as demonstrated by relevant experience and activities;

(ii)

The amount of each scholarship shall be two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) for each year the recipient is enrolled and making satisfactory progress in a program specified under paragraph (b)(ii) of this section, but not to exceed:

(A)

For the principal endorsement program, two (2) years;

(B)

For the masters degree program for principal preparation, three (3) years; and

(C)

For the doctoral degree program in education leadership, five (5) years.

(d)

Funding of the scholarship program established under this section shall be by appropriation of the legislature. The university shall make commitments of scholarship funds to students only to the extent that the available appropriations are sufficient to fund annual scholarship payments to the student for the periods specified in paragraph (c)(ii) of this section.

(e)

Students who receive a scholarship under this section shall report annually not later than July 1 to the university college of education for three (3) calendar years following the year in which they complete the program regarding the extent to which the program has enabled them to provide benefits to the students in the Wyoming school district in which they serve. Not later than October 15 of each year, the university, through the college of education, shall report to the joint education interim committee regarding the scholarship program established under this section. The report shall contain the number of scholarships issued for each program, a summary of the reports submitted by students who have completed a program and comprehensive information regarding repayments required under subsection (f) of this section.

(f)

Scholarship recipients who fail to complete the program, who fail to submit the required report under subsection (e) of this section or who accept employment in another state within three (3) years following completion of the program shall repay the scholarship to the university, along with all reasonable costs necessary to secure repayment. Repayments shall be made in monthly payments over the same period as the duration of the program for which the scholarship was granted. Repayments shall be separately accounted for by the university and used exclusively for scholarships under this section. A student may be relieved of the requirement to repay the scholarship if the requirement to repay would cause undue hardship. In determining if undue hardship would be caused, the university shall apply criteria similar to the criteria developed for nursing education scholarships under W.S. 9
‑
1
‑
123(j)(ii).

(g)

The scholarship program created by this section shall terminate effective June 30, 2009.

Section 2.

Two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) is appropriated from the common school permanent fund reserve account established under W.S. 9
‑
4
‑
713(f) to the University of Wyoming to fund the scholarship program established under this act. This appropriation shall be separately accounted for and not included in the university block grant.

Section 3.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

1
HB0147