Okla. Admin. Code § 610:25-23-9

Current through Vol. 42, No. 8, January 2, 2025

Section 610:25-23-9 - "Heroes Promise"

HB 1343 of the 2011 Oklahoma legislative session amended the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Act to authorize certain persons to participate in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program and to qualify for the program benefits. This category of program participation shall be referred to as the "Heroes Promise" program. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the administrative rules of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program shall apply to participants in the Heroes Promise program.

(1) Eligibility: A student shall be eligible to participate in the Heroes Promise program if the student meets the following criteria:

(A) The student is a child of any person killed after January 1, 2000, in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed Forces or who died after January 1, 2000, as a result of an injury sustained while in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed Forces and the person who was killed or died filed an individual or joint Oklahoma income tax return for the tax year prior to the year during which the person was killed or died.

(B) The student is a resident of Oklahoma or is enrolled in a school district located in this state that serves students who reside in both this state and an adjacent state pursuant to a contract as authorized in Section 5-117.1 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

(C) The student executes an agreement to participate in the program.

(2) Application and Enrollment:

(A) Eligible students enrolled in a public or private school in the eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, or eleventh-grade and eligible students educated by other means between the ages of thirteen (13) and seventeen (17) may apply to participate in the program.

(B) Eligible students who have completed the eleventh grade or who have reached age seventeen (17) shall be given the opportunity to apply to participate in the program prior to reaching the age of twenty-one (21).

(C) An eligible student shall not be required to establish financial need as described in 610:25-23-2(2).

(D) To apply, the student and/or their parent, custodial parent, or guardian shall submit appropriate documentation of eligibility including, but not limited to:

(i) A copy of an individual or joint Oklahoma income tax return filed by the parent of the student for the tax year prior to the year during which the parent was killed or died.

(ii) Documentation of the parent's death after January 1, 2000 while in the line of duty or as a result of injury sustained while in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed Forces.

(iii) Documentation that the student is a resident of Oklahoma or is enrolled in a school district located in this state that serves students who reside in both this state and an adjacent state pursuant to a contract as authorized in Section 5-117.1 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

(3) Exemption from Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program Requirements: Students eligible for the Heroes Promise program shall not be subject to the program requirements contained in 610:25-23-4 (Program requirements).

(4) Securing Program Benefits: An eligible student may qualify for a Heroes Promise award which includes payment of an amount equivalent to resident tuition or other tuition pursuant to Section 2604 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes for the first semester or other academic unit of postsecondary enrollment if the student meets the following criteria:

(A) The student has satisfied admission standards as determined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for first-time-entering students for the appropriate type of institution, or, if attending a private institution, has satisfied admission standards as determined by the private institution. No student participating in the Heroes Promise program shall be admitted into an institution of higher education by special admission standards.

(B) The student has secured admission to, and, prior to reaching the age of twenty-one (21), has enrolled in an institution which is a member of The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, a postsecondary career technology program that meets the requirements to be eligible for federal student financial aid and is offered by a technology center school supervised by the State Board of Career and Technology Education, or a private institution of higher learning located within this state and accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may award the Heroes Promise benefit for a student's first semester or other academic unit of postsecondary enrollment taken after the student turns twenty-one (21) years of age if the student is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the Reserve Corps of the Armed Forces of the United States, or the Oklahoma National Guard, and is ordered to active duty or active duty for special work or training and due to the duty commitment the student is unable to enroll before the student reaches twenty-one (21) years of age. The period of the extension shall be the length of the term of duty.

(C) Except as otherwise provided in this section, students eligible for the Heroes Promise award benefits shall not be subject to the provisions of 610:25-23-5 (Securing Program benefits).

(D) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the payment of Heroes Promise award benefits shall be subject to the provisions of 610:25-23-7 (Payment of awards; policies and limitations).

(E) A student that qualifies for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program benefit based on both their Heroes Promise eligibility and completion of the regular program requirements shall only receive a single program benefit.

(5) Retaining Eligibility in Postsecondary Education: To retain eligibility for the Heroes Promise award while pursuing a program of higher learning at an eligible Oklahoma institution, the student must maintain compliance with the provisions of 610:25-23-6 (Retaining eligibility in postsecondary education).

Okla. Admin. Code § 610:25-23-9

Added at 29 Ok Reg 677, eff 5-25-12

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 35, Issue 24, September 4, 2018, eff. 9/14/2018

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 39, Issue 24, September 1, 2022, eff. 9/11/2022