La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § IV-2401

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section IV-2401 - General Provisions

A. Act 463 of the 2022 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature establishes the Geaux Teach Program in R.S 17:7.6 et seq.

B. Description and Purpose. The Geaux Teach Program provides scholarships to students who are enrolled in teacher preparation programs at the state's postsecondary institutions that are approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). In addition, up to 20 percent of the available funding may be awarded to students attending certified alternative teacher preparation programs approved by BESE.

C. Effective Date. Awards shall be made, and these rules shall apply, beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year.

D. Authority to Audit. By participating in the scholarship and grant programs administered by the board and described in LAC 28:IV, all participants grant the board, LOSFA, and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor the right to inspect records and perform on-site audits of each institution's administration of the programs for the purpose of determining the institution's compliance with state law and the board's rules and regulations.

E. Discrimination Prohibition. The exclusion of a person from equal opportunity for a Geaux Teach Program scholarship by the board because of race, religion, sex, handicap, national origin, or ancestry is prohibited. No policy or procedure of this agency shall be interpreted as superseding or contradicting this prohibition.

F. Criminal Penalties. If an erroneous award has been made and the board determines that the award was made based upon incorrect information submitted by the student or the student's parent(s) or court-ordered custodian, the board may seek reimbursement from the student, the student's parent(s) or court-ordered custodian, and if it is further determined that the award was made due to an intentional misrepresentation by the student, the student's parent(s) or court-ordered custodian, then the board shall refer the case to the attorney general for investigation and prosecution. If a student or the student's parent(s) or court-ordered custodian is suspected of having intentionally misrepresented the facts which were provided to the board and used by it to determine the eligibility of the student for the program and the board has referred the case to the attorney general for investigation, then the student shall remain ineligible for future award consideration pending an outcome of said investigation which is favorable to the student.

G. Award Amount

1. The award amount shall be applied only to tuition, fees, textbooks, and instructional materials required for enrollment. Geaux Teach Program scholarships shall be awarded after all state and institutional financial aid are applied.

2. The maximum annual award amount shall be $5,000.

3. Each postsecondary institution/provider shall determine the award amounts for eligible students attending teacher certification programs at that institution/provider based on the requirements in these rules, the allocation to the institution/provider, the institution's/provider's financial aid packaging policy for this program, and the guidance established by the board and published by LOSFA.

H. The total amount awarded for Geaux Teach Program scholarships during any academic year is limited to the total amount appropriated for the award for the academic year. Eligibility for an award during any particular semester, quarter or term does not guarantee that a student will receive the Geaux Teach Program scholarship in a subsequent semester, quarter or term.

I. Allocation of Funds to Postsecondary Institutions

1. The amount allocated to an eligible institution during the 2022-2023 academic year will be divided equally among all institutions having one or more qualified programs of study.

2. Beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year, allocations to institutions will be determined by dividing the amount of the institution's prior year's allocation that was expended by the total amount appropriated for that academic year multiplied by the total amount appropriated for the current year.

J. Allocation of Funds to Providers

1. The amount allocated to an eligible provider during the 2022-2023 academic year will be divided equally among all providers having one or more qualified programs of study.

2. Beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year, allocations to providers will be determined by dividing the amount of the provider's prior year's allocation that was expended by the total amount appropriated for that academic year multiplied by the total amount appropriated for the current year.

K. Reallocation of Funds

1. Uncommitted funds allocated to a particular institution shall be reallocated if not committed by the deadline set by LOSFA. Uncommitted funds shall be apportioned among those institutions that have committed all funds allocated to the institution before the deadline and have students who are eligible for an award and did not receive it or who did receive an award but did not receive the maximum award amount for which they were eligible.

2. Uncommitted funds allocated to a particular provider shall be reallocated if not committed by the deadline set by LOSFA. Uncommitted funds shall be apportioned among those providers that have committed all funds allocated to the provider before the deadline and that have students who are eligible for an award and did not receive it or who did receive an award but did not receive the maximum award amount for which they were eligible.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § IV-2401

Promulgated by the by the Board of Regents, Office of Student Financial Assistance, LR 4955 (1/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:3047 et seq.