85-3005.

Scholarship; community colleges; eligibility; renewal; Department of Economic Development; community college area; duties.

(1)(a) The Department of Economic Development, in collaboration with the community colleges, shall award a Nebraska Career Scholarship that does not exceed a maximum of five thousand dollars per year to any eligible community college student who is enrolled in an eligible program of study in an identified shortage area or skilled trade that meets the workforce needs of the state.

(b) The Department of Economic Development shall identify shortage areas and skilled trades that meet workforce needs for purposes of this section and shall periodically review and revise the identification of such shortage areas and skilled trades.

(c) For purposes of this section, an eligible program of study means a program of study offered by a community college in a shortage area or skilled trade identified pursuant to subdivision (b) of this subsection.

(d) Each community college area, acting as an agent of the state, shall determine the eligibility of students enrolled in the community college, receive and process applications for awards to individual students, and disperse funds directly to scholarship recipients during the fiscal year. Eligibility criteria shall include being a first-time freshman or a transfer student and enrollment in an eligible program of study.

(2) Each scholarship recipient shall register with the appropriate campus office to obtain a Nebraska-based internship, apprenticeship, clinical position, or employment in a major-related field prior to completion of the student's eligible program of study.

(3) A Nebraska Career Scholarship may be used by the scholarship recipient for tuition, fees, required tools and equipment, and room and board.

(4) Each scholarship awarded under this section shall be automatically renewed on an annual basis if the student remains enrolled in good standing in the eligible program of study for which such scholarship was awarded, except that no student shall receive a scholarship renewal after three years of participation in such eligible program of study.

(5) Each community college area shall collect information on each scholarship recipient who has been awarded a Nebraska Career Scholarship by such community college area and shall share such information with the Department of Economic Development.

(6) The Department of Economic Development shall report electronically to the Clerk of the Legislature and the Governor on or before December 1 of each year the following information:

(a) For each eligible program of study at a community college in the current or prior academic year:

(i) The total number of students enrolled in the program in the immediately prior academic year and the total number of students enrolled in the program as of the most recent census date for the community college area;

(ii) The total number of scholarship recipients in the program as of the most recent census date for the community college area; and

(iii) The number of students participating in an internship, an apprenticeship, a clinical position, or employment in a major-related field during the immediately prior academic year and a comparison of participation rates for scholarship recipients and nonscholarship students;

(b) The total number of first-time freshman scholarship recipients retained in year two of the scholarship recipient's eligible program of study and a comparison of the retention rate for first-time freshman scholarship recipients to the overall retention rate for first-time freshman students;

(c) The total number of first-time freshman scholarship recipients who complete the program of study by earning the certificate, diploma, or degree that signifies completion and a comparison of the on-time completion rate for scholarship recipients to the overall on-time completion rate for all first-time freshman students;

(d) The number of scholarship recipients obtaining employment in the state within five fiscal quarters of completion of an eligible program of study using Department of Labor data; and

(e) The average salary of scholarship recipients, as determined by the Department of Labor, for the fifth fiscal quarter following completion.

(7) The Department of Economic Development shall allocate to community colleges the amount appropriated to the department to carry out this section. The department shall establish a separate budget subprogram for such allocation.