§34-21-61. Qualifications of applicants; applications; administration.

(a) To be eligible to receive a scholarship provided by this article, an applicant shall satisfy all of the following requirements:

(1) Be a resident of the State of Alabama for a period of at least one year immediately preceding the time of making application.

(2) Be a person of good character.

(3) Have an active, unencumbered license as a professional nurse in Alabama.

(4) Be accepted for an Alabama graduate program conducted by an accredited college or university.

(5) Agree to practice professional nursing or become a nursing instructor in the State of Alabama for at least two years after completing the graduate degree.

(b) The recipient of these scholarships may apply to the Board of Nursing for a waiver from these requirements for extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the recipient.

(c) Preference shall be given to applicants pursuing a career in nursing education.

(d) These scholarships shall be available to applicants seeking master's or doctorate degrees in nursing. Doctorate degrees in education are also acceptable provided the applicant holds a graduate degree in nursing.

(e) Application for these scholarships shall be made to the Alabama Board of Nursing. The Board of Nursing shall receive five percent of the total appropriation to administer the scholarships.

(Acts 1977, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 68, p. 1491, §2; Act 2012-262, p. 507, §1.)