Sec. 6. (a) A student may apply to the commission for a scholarship. To qualify for a scholarship, the student must meet the following requirements:

(1) Be an eligible student who qualified to participate in the program under section 5 of this chapter.

(2) Be a resident of Indiana.

(3) Be a graduate from a secondary school located in Indiana that meets the admission criteria of an eligible institution and have achieved a cumulative grade point average in high school of:

(A) at least 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale, if the student is expected to graduate from high school before July 1, 2014; and

(B) at least 2.5 on a 4.0 grading scale, if the student is expected to graduate from high school after June 30, 2014.

(4) Have applied to attend and be accepted to attend as a full-time student an eligible institution.

(5) Certify in writing that before the student's graduation from high school the student:

(A) did not illegally use controlled substances (as defined in IC 35-48-1-9);

(B) did not illegally consume alcoholic beverages;

(C) did not commit any other crime or a delinquent act (as described in IC 31-37-1-2 or IC 31-37-2-2 through IC 31-37-2-5 (or IC 31-6-4-1(a)(1) through IC 31-6-4-1(a)(5) before their repeal));

(D) timely filed an application for other types of financial assistance available to the student from the state or federal government; and

(E) completed an academic success program required under the rules adopted by the commission.

(6) Submit to the commission all the information and evidence required by the commission to determine eligibility as a scholarship applicant.

(7) This subdivision applies only to applicants who initially enroll in the program under section 5 of this chapter or IC 21-12-6.5-2 after June 30, 2011. For purposes of this chapter, applicants who are enrolled in the program before July 1, 2011, will not have an income or financial resources test applied to them when they subsequently apply for a scholarship. Have a lack of financial resources reasonably available to the applicant, as defined by the commission, that, in the absence of an award under this chapter, would deter the scholarship applicant from completing the applicant's education at the approved postsecondary educational institution that the applicant has selected and that has accepted the applicant.

(8) Meet any other minimum criteria established by the commission.

(b) This section applies to an individual who graduates from high school after December 31, 2011. To be eligible for a scholarship under this section, a student must initially attend an eligible institution described in subsection (a)(4) not later than the fall semester (or its equivalent, as determined by the commission) in the year immediately following the year in which the student graduates from high school.

[Pre-2007 Higher Education Recodification Citations: 20-12-70-11(a); 20-12-70-6.]

As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.169-2011, SEC.7; P.L.229-2011, SEC.228; P.L.6-2012, SEC.146; P.L.107-2012, SEC.23; P.L.234-2015, SEC.14; P.L.165-2016, SEC.11.