(a) There is established a Connecticut information technology scholarship pilot program administered by the Board of Regents for Higher Education.

(b) Within available appropriations, the program shall provide grants for students entering or enrolling in an information technology related degree or certification program at any public or independent institution of higher education in this state. The scholarship shall not exceed three thousand dollars per student per year. The scholarship shall not exceed the combined costs of tuition and fees of an institution at which a recipient is or will be enrolled. The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall develop eligibility requirements for recipients. Such requirements may include income guidelines. Students shall be eligible for such scholarships for each year they are enrolled in an information technology related degree or certification program for a total of not more than four years per student. Students may apply for such scholarships to the Board of Regents for Higher Education at such time and in such manner as the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities prescribes.

(c) The Board of Regents for Higher Education may accept donations for such scholarship program.

(d) The recipients of scholarships pursuant to this section for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, shall constitute a cohort and scholarships for succeeding years shall only be available to members of such cohort.

(e) Any unexpended funds appropriated for purposes of this section shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year but shall be available for expenditure during the next fiscal year.

(f) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, the Board of Regents for Higher Education may use up to five per cent of the funds appropriated for purposes of this section for program administration, promotion, recruitment and retention activities.

(P.A. 00-187, S. 30, 75; P.A. 01-173, S. 38, 67; P.A. 11-48, S. 285; P.A. 16-15, S. 32.)

History: P.A. 00-187 effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2001; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, “Board of Governors of Higher Education” and “Commissioner of Higher Education” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Board of Regents for Higher Education” and “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 16-15 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education” with “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities”, effective July 1, 2016.

See Secs. 32-8a, 32-8b re duties of Commissioner of Economic and Community Development with respect to this program and cooperative internship program for students majoring in information technology fields.