Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-2603v1

A. Except as otherwise provided for in subsection B of this

section and elsewhere in this section, to be eligible to participate

in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program and to qualify for an

award which includes payment of an amount equivalent to resident

tuition or other tuition pursuant to Section 2604 of this title for

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 1381

the first semester or other academic unit of postsecondary

enrollment, a student shall:

1. Be a resident of this state or be enrolled in a school

district located in this state that serves students who reside in

both this state and an adjacent state pursuant to a contract as

authorized in Section 5-117.1 of this title;

2. Be a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United

States. A student who is not a United States citizen or lawfully

present in the United States shall not be eligible to participate in

the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program and to qualify for an

award notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3242 of this title.

The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any student who

was enrolled in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program prior to

the end of the 2006-2007 school year;

3. Have a record of satisfactory compliance with agreements

executed pursuant to Section 2605 of this title;

4. a. Have graduated within the previous three (3) years

from a high school accredited by the State Board of

Education or the Oklahoma School of Science and

Mathematics with a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point

average on a 4.0 scale for all work attempted in

grades nine through twelve,

b. Have graduated within the previous three (3) years

from a high school not accredited by the State Board

of Education with a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point

average on a 4.0 scale for all work attempted in

grades nine through twelve and have achieved a

composite score of 22 or higher on the ACT test, or

c. Have satisfactorily completed within the previous

three (3) years an educational program that was

provided through a means other than a public or

private school and have achieved a composite score of

22 or higher on the ACT test;

5. Have completed the curricular requirements for admission to

an institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education.

Students shall also have attained a 2.5 grade point average in the

core curriculum courses. Students who attended a high school which

did not offer all the core curriculum courses or students who were

educated by other means and were not offered all the core curriculum

courses shall be allowed to satisfy this curriculum requirement by

participating in a program approved by the Oklahoma State Regents

for Higher Education for remediation of high school curricular

deficiencies;

6. Have satisfied admission standards as determined by the

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for first-time-entering

students for the appropriate type of institution, or, if attending a

private institution, have satisfied admission standards as

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 1382

determined by the private institution. No student participating in

the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program shall be admitted into

an institution of higher education by special admission standards;

7. Have secured admission to, and enrolled in, an institution

which is a member of The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education,

a postsecondary vocational-technical program offered by a technology

center school that meets the requirements to be eligible for federal

student financial aid, or a private institution of higher learning

located within this state and accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of

this title; and

8. a. Have established financial need according to the

provisions of subsection D of Section 2605 of this

title and standards and provisions promulgated by the

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,
uirements to be eligible for federal

student financial aid, or a private institution of higher learning

located within this state and accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of

this title; and

8. a. Have established financial need according to the

provisions of subsection D of Section 2605 of this

title and standards and provisions promulgated by the

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,

b. If the student was adopted between birth and twelve

(12) years of age while in the permanent custody of

the Department of Human Services, in the court-ordered

custody of a licensed private nonprofit child-placing

agency, or federally recognized Indian tribe, as

defined by the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of

1978, have established financial need according to the

provisions of paragraph 1 of subsection E of Section

2605 of this title and standards and provisions

promulgated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher

Education,

c. If the student was adopted between thirteen (13) and

seventeen (17) years of age while in the permanent

custody of the Department of Human Services, in the

court-ordered custody of a licensed private nonprofit

child-placing agency, or federally recognized Indian

tribe, as defined by the federal Indian Child Welfare

Act of 1978, have established financial need according

to the provisions of paragraph 2 of subsection E of

Section 2605 of this title and standards and

provisions promulgated by the Oklahoma State Regents

for Higher Education,

d. If the student was placed in the custody of the

Department of Human Services at any time during the

eighth, ninth, tenth, or eleventh grade and enrolls in

the program no later than his or her official date of

high school graduation, have established financial

need according to the provisions of paragraph 3 of

subsection E of Section 2605 of this title and

standards and provisions promulgated by the Oklahoma

State Regents for Higher Education, or

e. If the student is the child of a certified classroom

teacher and meets the provisions of paragraph 5 of

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 1383

subsection E of Section 2605 of this title. For the

purposes of this paragraph, “certified classroom

teacher” shall have the same meaning as provided in

subparagraph d of paragraph 5 of subsection E of

Section 2605 of this title.

B. 1. A student shall be eligible to participate in the

Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program and to qualify for an award

which includes payment of an amount equivalent to resident tuition

or other tuition pursuant to Section 2604 of this title for the

first semester or other academic unit of postsecondary enrollment if

the student meets all of the following criteria:

a. is a child of any person killed after January 1, 2000,

in the line of duty in any branch of the United States

Armed Forces or who died after January 1, 2000, as a

result of an injury sustained while in the line of

duty in any branch of the United States Armed Forces

and the person who was killed or died filed an

individual or joint Oklahoma income tax return for the

tax year prior to the year during which the person was

killed or died,

b. is a resident of this state or is enrolled in a school

district located in this state that serves students

who reside in both this state and an adjacent state

pursuant to a contract as authorized in Section 5-

117.1 of this title,

c. enrolls in an institution within The Oklahoma State

System of Higher Education prior to reaching the age

of twenty-one (21),

d. has satisfied admission standards as determined by the

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for first-

time-entering students for the appropriate type of

institution, or, if attending a private institution,

has satisfied admission standards as determined by the

private institution. No student participating in the

Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program shall be

admitted into an institution of higher education by
ards as determined by the

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for first-

time-entering students for the appropriate type of

institution, or, if attending a private institution,

has satisfied admission standards as determined by the

private institution. No student participating in the

Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program shall be

admitted into an institution of higher education by

special admission standards,

e. has secured admission to, and enrolled in, an

institution which is a member of The Oklahoma State

System of Higher Education, a postsecondary

vocational-technical program offered by a technology

center school that meets the requirements to be

eligible for federal student financial aid, or a

private institution of higher learning located within

this state and accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of

this title, and

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 1384

f. executes an agreement pursuant to subsection C of

Section 2605 of this title.

2. A student who is eligible to participate in the program

pursuant to this subsection shall not be required to meet the

eligibility requirements set forth in subsection A of this section.

C. To retain eligibility while pursuing the program of higher

learning in which enrolled, the student shall:

1. Meet the requirements for retention and degree completion as

established by the institution in which the student is enrolled;

2. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory academic

progress according to standards of the Oklahoma State Regents for

Higher Education;

3. Maintain satisfactory academic progress as required for

eligibility for federal Title IV student financial aid programs.

The provisions of this paragraph shall become effective for the

2012-2013 school year;

4. Comply with the standards related to maintenance of

eligibility as promulgated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher

Education; and

5. Refrain from conduct that leads to expulsion or suspension

of more than one semester from an institution of higher education.

A student who violates the provisions of this paragraph shall

permanently lose eligibility for program benefits. The provisions

of this paragraph shall become effective January 1, 2008.

D. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the

State Board of Career and Technology Education shall promulgate

rules relating to maintenance of eligibility under the Oklahoma

Higher Learning Access Act by a student.

E. It is the intent of the Legislature that students in the

ninth grade for the 1992-93 school year who are determined to be

eligible Oklahoma Higher Learning Access students pursuant to the

Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Act shall be the first students

eligible for benefits from the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Trust

Fund.

F. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are

authorized to study, develop, and propose criteria for determining

award eligibility based upon the completion of seven semesters of

high school coursework by a student.