A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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 institution of higher education in North  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 becomes effective July 1, 2007.