GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2007

HOUSE BILL 851

RATIFIED BILL

AN ACT to clarify the educational requirement for the teacher assistant scholarship fund.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 116‑209.35(b) reads as rewritten:

"(b)      Criteria for awarding the scholarships shall be developed by the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina in consultation with the State Board of Education and the State Board of Community Colleges and shall include all of the following:

(1)       An applicant shall be employed full time as a teacher assistant in North Carolina.

(2)       An applicant shall be enrolled in an accredited bachelors degree program in an institution of higher education in North Carolina. Carolina pursuing teacher licensure.

(3)       An applicant shall be a resident of North Carolina. For purposes of this section, residency shall be determined by the same standard as residency for tuition purposes pursuant to G.S. 116‑143.1.

(4)       Any additional criteria that the Board of Governors considers necessary to administer the Fund effectively, including all of the following:

a.         Consideration of the appropriate numbers of minority applicants and applicants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to receive scholarships pursuant to this section.

b.         Consideration of the academic qualifications of the individuals applying to receive funds.

c.         Consideration of the commitment an individual applying to receive funds demonstrates to the profession of teaching."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 1^st day of August, 2007.

                                                                        _____________________________________

                                                                         Beverly E. Perdue

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                        _____________________________________

                                                                         Joe Hackney

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                        _____________________________________

                                                                         Michael F. Easley

                                                                         Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2007