Title 6 — Education

(1) To be eligible for the State Teacher Education Program, an applicant shall:(1) Teach full-time at a public school district in a subject area or geographic area with a teacher shortage, as identified by the Division of Higher Education in consultation with the Division of Elem…

(a) (1) The State Teacher Education Program shall be used to provide a loan repayment for federal student loans in the amount of six thousand dollars ($6,000) per year for a maximum of three (3) years for a licensed teacher who graduated from a teacher education program after Apr…

There is established a Teacher Candidate Loan Forgiveness Program to be administered by the Division of Higher Education.

(a) An individual is eligible for a loan under this subchapter to be used for financing the individual's cost of attendance at an institution of higher education if the individual:(1) Is a lawful resident of the State of Arkansas;(2) Has successfully completed his or her sophomor…

(a) (1) The loan amounts under this subchapter shall be the lesser of:(A) Five thousand dollars ($5,000) per academic year; or(B) The total cost of attendance for an academic year at the institution of higher education in which the individual is enrolled less any other scholarshi…

(a) An individual who receives a loan under this subchapter shall execute a written loan contract with the Division of Higher Education for the repayment of the loan as provided in this subchapter. (b) A loan contract executed under subsection (a) of this section shall provide th…

(a) An individual who receives a loan under this subchapter shall immediately begin repayment of each loan the individual received, together with interest as determined by the Division of Higher Education, if the individual:(1) Ceases to be enrolled in good standing at an institu…

The Division of Higher Education shall promulgate rules to implement this subchapter.

There is established within the Division of Higher Education the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Program to be administered by the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board.

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Medically underserved” means an area in Arkansas that the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board determines has unmet needs for medical services due to factors, including without limitation:(A) The ratio of primar…

(a) (1) There is established the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board that shall consist of six (6) members, which shall include:(A) One (1) member who shall be appointed by the Governor after consultation with each medical school in Arkansas that…

(a) An individual may apply for a loan under this subchapter on forms prescribed by the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board if the individual is:(1) Accepted for admission to or enrolled in good standing in a medical school in Arkansas in studies…

When an osteopathic rural medical practice loan application is filed with the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board, the board shall examine the application, investigate the ability, character, and qualifications of the applicant, and investigate t…

Osteopathic rural medical practice loans provided for in this subchapter shall be made for the sole purpose of paying the applicant's tuition, maintenance, and educational expenses and the necessary living expenses of his or her dependents while the applicant is enrolled in a pro…

(a) The Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board may make osteopathic rural medical practice loans to the applicant, each osteopathic rural medical practice loan being expressly made subject to the provisions of § 6-81-1809(c) and § 6-81-1810, if the …

(a) The maximum amount of each osteopathic rural medical practice loan for osteopathic medical students shall not exceed sixteen thousand five hundred dollars ($16,500) per academic year or those costs that are reasonable and necessary for the student's attendance as determined b…

(a) The Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board shall enter into a loan contract with the applicant to whom an osteopathic rural medical practice loan is made. (b) The contract shall be approved by the Attorney General and shall be signed by the Chai…

(a) (1) All payments for osteopathic rural practice loans and community match loans under this subchapter shall be made on requisitions signed by the Chair of the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board drawn against the funds held for the purpose of…

(a) The Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board shall make an annual report to the Governor concerning the activities of the board and shall file a copy of its report with the Legislative Council. (b) (1) The report under subsection (a) of this secti…

(a) Any applicant for a loan or income incentive issued by the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board, any person who has been granted a loan or has been granted income incentives by the board, or any party to an osteopathic rural medical practice o…

(a) (1) The Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board shall administer the Community Match Rural Physician Recruitment Program.(2) (A) Interested rural communities may apply to the Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board t…

(a) (1) The Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board and the qualified rural community shall enter a joint community match income incentive contract with the applicant.(2) The form of the community match income incentive contract shall be approved by …

(a) If an alternate on the waiting list for acceptance to an osteopathic medical school in Arkansas demonstrates a willingness to enter into an osteopathic rural medical practice loan contract and meets the requirements of § 6-81-1807, the applicant shall be moved to the top of t…

(1) An osteopathic medical school in Arkansas shall:(1) Track graduates who were recipients of osteopathic rural medical practice loans under this subchapter for the length of their contractual obligations; and(2) Report to the Legislative Council by October 1 of each even-number…

(a) There is established an Osteopathic Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Program Administrator. (b) The administrator shall:(1) Be employed by the Division of Higher Education;(2) Serve as liaison between osteopathic rural medical practice student loan recipien…

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Appeals process” means without limitation:(A) The completion and submission of an appeals application as drafted by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee;(B) The confirmation of eligibility to appeal and the intention to retain appeals eligibilit…

There is created the Financial Aid Appeals Committee within the Division of Higher Education with the authority to administer the division's appeals process.

(a) There is established the Financial Aid Appeals Committee, in conjunction with the Governor's administration, to be composed of five (5) representatives of the Division of Higher Education, which shall be responsible for administering the division's appeals process. (b) Member…

(1) The Financial Aid Appeals Committee may make appeals decisions for an applicant, with each appeal being expressly made subject to the provisions of this subchapter and § 6-81-1905, if the committee finds that reinstating the appealed scholarship or grant will benefit the stud…

(a) (1) In the event an applicant submits an appeal on the basis of failure to maintain full-time enrollment or the necessary grade point average during a previous term, the Financial Aid Appeals Committee may approve proportionate financial aid to be awarded within one (1) semes…

There is created the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program to be administered by the Arkansas Psychology Board in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:(1) Neuropsychological testing services are necessary services for the citizens of the State of Arkansas in order to provide access to and inform a broad range of clinical services, psychoeducational services, and legal and quasi-legal decision…

(a) Cash funds for the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program shall consist of:(1) Funds appropriated for the program;(2) Federal funds;(3) Gifts;(4) Grants;(5) Bequests;(6) Devises;(7) Donations;(8) Interest and other i…

(a) The Arkansas Psychology Board shall:(1) Prescribe forms to be used for the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program;(2) Monitor the submission of applications for scholarships, stipends, or incentives;(3) Determine eli…

(1) The Arkansas Psychology Board may award a scholarship, stipend, or incentive under the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program available to an applicant who:(1) Is a bona fide resident of Arkansas; and(2) Is:(A) Enrol…

(a) The Arkansas Psychology Board may award a scholarship to cover tuition and the required coursework to an applicant who has been accepted for admission or is enrolled in good standing in a program as a psychology student or trainee who is pursuing a bachelor's degree to obtain…

(a) Subject to the availability of funds, each scholarship, stipend, or incentive awarded to an applicant under this subchapter shall be renewable annually for the number of years required to complete a qualifying program under this subchapter. (b) Each scholarship, stipend, or i…

The Arkansas Psychology Board may adopt rules consistent with this subchapter to effectively and efficiently carry out the purposes of this subchapter.

(a) The Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas, a private nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of this state for the purposes, as stated in its articles of incorporation, “to do any and all necessary things to implement the student loan fund program as provided f…

(a) (1) All moneys received by the Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas under the provisions of this subchapter shall be deposited by the foundation into bank accounts in one (1) or more banks of this state, or the moneys may be placed on deposit into savings and loan as…

(a) The Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas shall designate a disbursing officer who shall administer the trust funds made available to the foundation under the provisions of this subchapter. (b) (1) The disbursing officer shall file a surety bond of a corporate surety …

All of the funds, securities, equities, and assets received by the Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas under the provisions of this subchapter shall be used exclusively for the purposes of providing the state's matching reserves requirements or other obligations under P…

(a) Whenever moneys made available to the Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas under the provisions of this subchapter are insufficient to meet cash obligations of the foundation pursuant to applicable federal laws, the foundation is authorized to sell for cash any secur…

The Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas is not subject to audit by the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee but, at least annually, shall contract for an audit by a certified public accountant and transmit a copy of the audit to the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Behaviorally underserved community” means a given geographical area in this state that the Secretary of the Department of Human Services determines has unmet needs for behavioral health services caused by factors, including without limitation:(…

(a) There is created the Behavioral Health Loan Forgiveness Program to be administered by the Department of Human Services in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter. (b) The program shall promote mental health professionals serving in behaviorally underserved communiti…

(1) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services shall:(1) Determine the behaviorally underserved communities in this state;(2) Prescribe forms for and regulate the submission of applications for possible participants in the Behavioral Health Loan Forgiveness Program;(3) Det…

(a) To be eligible to be a participant, an individual shall:(1) Either:(A) Be a mental health professional or a licensed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor; or(B) Be enrolled in a training or education program to become a mental health professional or a licensed alcoholism …

(a) (1) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services shall distribute available funds from the Arkansas Behavioral Health Professional Student Loan Repayment Fund to participants proportionally among the eligible professions according to the vacancy rate for mental health pr…

A revolving loan fund of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is provided for making loans to the students of the University of Arkansas in order to assist worthy young men and women who are residents of Arkansas to pursue their studies at the university.