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135A.30 MINNESOTA ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE SCHOLARSHIP.
    Subdivision 1. Creation. The Minnesota academic excellence scholarship program is
created to reward students who have demonstrated outstanding ability, achievement, and potential
in one of the following subjects: English/creative writing, fine arts, foreign language, math,
science, or social science.
    Subd. 2. Eligibility. To be eligible to receive a scholarship under this section, a student must:
(1) graduate from a Minnesota public or nonpublic high school in the academic year in
which the scholarship is awarded;
(2) successfully complete a college preparatory curriculum and demonstrate outstanding
ability, achievement, and potential in one of the specified subjects;
(3) be admitted to enroll full time in a nonsectarian, baccalaureate degree-granting program
at the University of Minnesota or at a Minnesota state university, or at a Minnesota private,
baccalaureate degree-granting college or university; and
(4) pursue studies in the subject for which the award is made.
    Subd. 3. Selection of recipients. The governing board of an eligible institution shall
determine, in consultation with its campuses, application dates and procedures, criteria to be
considered, and methods of selecting students to receive scholarships. A campus, with the
approval of its governing board, may award a scholarship in any field of study.
    Subd. 4. Amount of scholarship. The amount of the scholarship may be (1) at public
institutions, up to the cost of tuition and fees for full-time attendance for one academic year, or
(2) at private institutions, an amount up to the lesser of the actual tuition and fees charged by
the institution or the tuition and fees in comparable public institutions. Scholarships awarded
under this section must not be considered in determining a student's financial need as provided
in section 136A.101, subdivision 5.
    Subd. 5. Renewals. The scholarship may be renewed yearly, for up to three additional
academic years, if the student:
(1) maintains full-time enrollment with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four point
scale;
(2) pursues studies and continues to demonstrate outstanding ability, achievement, and
potential in the field for which the award was made; and
(3) is achieving satisfactory progress toward a degree.
    Subd. 6. Number of awards. The number of scholarships awarded each year shall be
determined by the amount of contributions received under subdivision 8 plus the money available
in the scholarship account, as provided in section 168.129, subdivision 6, that is credited to a
postsecondary institution or system through sales of its license plates. The number of new awards
must be determined after subtracting the actual and projected amount necessary for renewals.
    Subd. 7. Distribution among campuses. Postsecondary systems with more than one campus
shall allocate at least three-fourths of the revenue available from the sale of license plates to the
campuses to which the revenue is attributable. The governing board annually shall determine the
distribution of the remaining portion among the campuses, after consideration of special needs or
circumstances.
    Subd. 8. Additional contributions. A postsecondary system or campus may accept
contributions, beyond those raised through the sale of license plates, to supplement the campus
fund for academic excellence scholarships.
History: 1991 c 356 art 7 s 1; 2005 c 107 art 2 s 5-7

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes