Students in college receiving state Academic Challenge Scholarships will have most continuing eligibility requirements waived this spring -- including a grade-point average minimum -- a spokeswoman for the state Division of Higher Education said Monday.
Colleges have suspended in-person classes and switched to online-only instruction in response to the covid-19 outbreak, with faculty and students given little time to adjust to the changes.
More than 30,000 students received the Academic Challenge Scholarship in fiscal year 2019. Lottery proceeds help pay for the scholarships, which generally require college students to maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 to remain eligible for the aid.
The state Division of Higher Education is keeping a requirement related to the amount of coursework taken.
A student must have been enrolled in the appropriate number of hours prior to spring break, said Alisha Lewis, a spokeswoman for the state Division of Higher Education.
For the Academic Challenge Scholarship, college students in their first year must complete 27 semester hours, while continuing college students are expected to complete 30 hours in following years.
For students attending a four-year college, the Academic Challenge Scholarships provide $2,000 for a student's first year, $4,000 for year two and the same amount for year three, and $5,000 for a student's fourth year of study.
Other state scholarships also are similarly waiving most continuing eligibility requirements this spring, Lewis said. Among other scholarships and grants, the state also awards the Governor's Distinguished Scholarship, which typically would require a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade-point average at the end of each academic year.