74-3293. Establishment of program; categories and limitation on number of scholarships; determination of recipients; duration and amount of awards. (a) There is hereby established the nursing service scholarship program. A scholarship may be awarded under the nursing service scholarship program to any qualified nursing student enrolled in or admitted to a school of nursing in a course of instruction leading to licensure as a licensed professional nurse or licensed practical nurse. A nursing student shall not be required to be a resident of Kansas to qualify for a scholarship under the nursing service scholarship program. The number of new scholarships awarded under the nursing service scholarship program in each year shall not exceed 250. Of this number, except as otherwise provided in this section, 100 scholarships shall be awarded to nursing students whose sponsors are located in rural areas and who are enrolled in a course of instruction leading to licensure as a registered professional nurse, 50 scholarships shall be awarded to nursing students enrolled in a course of instruction leading to licensure as a licensed practical nurse and the remaining 100 scholarships shall be awarded to any nursing students who have a sponsor and who are enrolled in a course of instruction leading to licensure as a registered professional nurse. If all scholarships authorized to be awarded under this section to nursing students whose sponsors are located in rural areas have not been awarded by a date established by the state board of regents, the scholarships which have not been awarded by that date may be awarded to nursing students who have a sponsor and who are otherwise qualified to be awarded a scholarship under the nursing service scholarship program. The determination of the individuals qualified for such scholarships shall be made by the executive officer after seeking advice from the committee. Within each scholarship category prescribed by this subsection, scholarships shall be awarded on a priority basis to qualified applicants: (1) Whose sponsor is a mental health or treatment facility; and (2) who have the greatest financial need for such scholarships. To the extent practicable and consistent with the other provisions of this section, consideration shall be given to minority applicants.

(b) Scholarships awarded under the nursing service scholarship program shall be awarded for the length of the course of instruction leading to licensure as a licensed professional nurse or licensure as a licensed practical nurse which the student is enrolled in or admitted to unless otherwise terminated before the expiration of such period of time. Such scholarships shall provide to a nursing student:

(1) If the nursing student is enrolled in a school of nursing operated by a state educational institution, an amount not to exceed 70% of the in-state tuition cost of attendance for an academic year at the school of nursing in which the nursing student is enrolled; or

(2) if the nursing student is enrolled in a school of nursing not operated by a state educational institution, the lesser of: (A) An amount not to exceed 70% of the in-state tuition cost of attendance for a year at the school of nursing in which the nursing student is enrolled; or (B) an amount not to exceed 70% of the average amount of the in-state tuition cost of attendance for a year at the schools of nursing operated by the state educational institutions.

(c) The amount of each scholarship shall be established annually by the executive officer and shall be financed equally by the sponsor of the nursing student and by the state of Kansas except if:

(1) The sponsor is located in a rural area or is a health care facility which has less than 100 beds, and is not a mental health or treatment facility pursuant to K.S.A. 74-3292(c)(1), (c)(5) or (c)(6), and amendments thereto, the total amount of the scholarship financed by such sponsor shall not exceed $1,000 and the balance of such amount shall be paid by the state of Kansas; or

(2) the sponsor is a mental health or treatment facility pursuant to K.S.A. 74-3292(c)(2), (c)(3), (c)(4) or (c)(7), and amendments thereto, the amount of the scholarship shall be paid by the state and such sponsor shall not finance any amount of the scholarship.

History: L. 1989, ch. 223, § 3; L. 1990, ch. 277, § 1; L. 1992, ch. 87, § 1; L. 2001, ch. 151, § 12; L. 2017, ch. 20, § 2; July 1.