Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-14-140

Assistance Act — Program creation — Eligibility — Application.

A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Oklahoma

National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act”.

B. As used in this act:

1. “Technology center school” means a technology center school

under the governance of the State Board of Career and Technology

Education;

2. “Eligible Guard member” means a current member of the

Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high school

diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)

requirements and who has enrolled in a technology center school; and

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3. “Program” means the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech

Assistance Program established pursuant to the provisions of this

section.

C. 1. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard

CareerTech Assistance Program to provide assistance to eligible

Guard members who enroll in a technology center school. Subject to

the availability of funds, the amount of assistance shall be

equivalent to the amount of tuition for a career and technology

program in which the eligible Guard member is enrolled leading to

certification or licensure, not to exceed a maximum of three (3)

years.

2. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be

granted without any limitation other than the amount of funds

available for the program and the number of eligible Guard members

who apply, subject to any cap established by the Military Department

of the State of Oklahoma.

3. Assistance allowed by this section shall not be allowed for

courses taken in excess of the requirements for completion of a

technology center school program leading to certification or

licensure.

D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be

allocated to the technology center school from the Oklahoma National

Guard CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to

Section 2 of this act.

E. To be eligible to apply for the program, an eligible Guard

member shall:

1. Have at least one (1) year remaining on his or her

enlistment contract at the beginning of any semester for which the

member applies for assistance pursuant to this section;

2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service

obligation in the Oklahoma National Guard; and

3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing with the

Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty-four (24) months

after completion of the last semester for which the member receives

assistance pursuant to this section.

F. To retain eligibility for the program, an eligible Guard

member shall:

1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory progress

according to standards of the technology center school in which the

member is enrolled;

2. Maintain the requirements for retention and completion as

established by the technology center school in which the member is

enrolled;

3. Maintain a minimum grade point of average of 2.0 on a 4.0

scale;

4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National

Guard; and

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5. Possess a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) or Air Force

Specialty Code (AFSC) after his or her first semester.

G. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to the

provisions of this section shall submit an application on a form

prescribed by the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to

the Educational Service Office of the Military Department prior to

the semester for which assistance is sought. The eligible Guard

member’s Commander or his or her designee shall confirm a member’s

standing and eligibility to the technology center school in which

the student is enrolled. The Military Department may establish a

cap on the number of eligible Guard members allowed to participate

per semester per technology center school program.

H. The eligible Guard member’s Commander may deny an
ought. The eligible Guard

member’s Commander or his or her designee shall confirm a member’s

standing and eligibility to the technology center school in which

the student is enrolled. The Military Department may establish a

cap on the number of eligible Guard members allowed to participate

per semester per technology center school program.

H. The eligible Guard member’s Commander may deny an

application submitted by an eligible Guard member for continued

program assistance if he or she fails to comply with the provisions

of paragraph 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of subsection F of this section.

I. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to this

section who is eligible for federal education benefits for

vocational training shall exhaust all such federal benefits, when

available, first.

J. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance

pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply

with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section

shall be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows:

1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant

to the provisions of this section;

2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this

subsection by twenty-four (24); and

3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this

subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the

requirements of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section.

Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma National Guard

CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2

of this act.

K. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance

pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply

with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section

due to hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment.

A waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the Adjutant

General.

L. By July 1 annually, the State Board of Career and Technology

Education shall notify the Adjutant General of the amount of funding

available in the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance

Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this act.

M. The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall

promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this act including

deadlines for submission of applications required by subsection G of

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this section. The Military Department of the State of Oklahoma

shall promulgate regulations pertaining to the application process

and the determination of eligibility for the program. The Board and

the Department shall coordinate the promulgation of rules and

regulations, respectively. The Adjutant General may promulgate

regulations to implement the provisions of this act.