As used in this part, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

1. (1) "Applicable academic period" means the academic term (grading period) during which an eligible grant recipient, as applicable, will pursue a course of instruction in an eligible profession at a participating institution, and for which a grant disbursement is made;

2. (2) "Applicable licensing board" means, with respect to:

   1. (A) Dentistry, the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners;
   2. (B) Optometry, the State Board of Optometry;
   3. (C) Osteopathic medicine, the Arkansas State Medical Board;
   4. (D) Veterinary medicine, the Arkansas Board of Animal Health;
   5. (E) Chiropractic medicine, the Arkansas State Board of Chiropractic Examiners; and
   6. (F) Podiatric medicine, the Arkansas State Podiatry Examining Board;
3. (3) "Applicable professional license" means, with respect to an eligible profession, the license or other permit granted by the applicable licensing board and required by law in order for an individual to practice the eligible profession in the state;
4. (4) "Board of control" means the Board of Control for Southern Regional Education;
5. (5) "Cancellation" means the cancellation of a loan by the division by reason of the death or total and permanent disability of an eligible borrower pursuant to 6 CAR § 402-108 hereof;
6. (6) "Deferment" means a period of time for which otherwise required payments on a loan are deferred, pursuant to 6 CAR § 402-107 hereof;
7. (7) "Division" means either or both of the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Division of Higher Education;

8. (8) “Eligible borrower” is an eligible grant recipient who:

   1. (A) Pays to a dental school at a participating institution nonresident tuition that exceeds the sum of the resident tuition and the regional contract program slot fee paid by the state to the Board of Control for Southern Regional Education for the eligible grant recipient’s professional studies in dentistry; or
   2. (B) Is enrolled in an optometry professional program outside the state and for whom any part of the out-of-state tuition is paid by the State of Arkansas through the Southern Regional Education Board grant funds;
9. (9) "Eligible grant recipient" means an eligible student who has been selected or accepted by a participating institution to receive financial assistance through this program and who has been certified by the division as a resident;

10. (10) "Eligible profession" means:

    1. (A) Dentistry;
    2. (B) Veterinary medicine;
    3. (C) Optometry;
    4. (D) Osteopathic medicine;
    5. (E) Podiatric medicine; or
    6. (F) Chiropractic medicine;

11. (11) "Eligible student" means an individual who:

    1. (A) Is a citizen or permanent resident alien of the United States;
    2. (B) Is a resident; and
    3. (C) Has been accepted for enrollment for the applicable academic period for a full-time course of instruction in an eligible profession at a participating institution or is continuing to make satisfactory academic progress, according to the participating institution, in a full-time course of instruction in the eligible profession at a participating institution;
12. (12) "Grant" means a disbursement made on behalf of an eligible grant recipient for payment of tuition to attend a participating institution and which is not subject to repayment by the eligible grant recipient in accordance with Arkansas Code §§ 6-4-104 – 107, 6-81-1101, and 6-81-1103 of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, and any subsequent legislation;
13. (13) “Loan” means a disbursement evidenced by a note and subject to repayment by an eligible borrower in accordance with Arkansas Code §§ 6-4-104 – 107, 6-81-1101, 6-81-1103 of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, and any subsequent legislation;
14. (14) “Non-Southern Regional Education Board participating institution” means a participating institution that is a party to a currently effective written agreement with the division;

15. (15)

    1. (A) “Note” means a promissory note, which is a legal document obligating the eligible grant recipient to repay a loan if he or she does not practice dentistry in the state.
    2. (B) The eligible grant recipient’s rights and responsibilities will be stated on the promissory note;

16. (16) "Participating institution" means a professional or graduate school that:

    1. (A) Is located outside the state but within the United States;
    2. (B) Offers a full-time course of instruction in at least one (1) eligible profession;
    3. (C) Is accredited by an accrediting entity acceptable to the applicable licensing board of the profession;
    4. (D) Grants, after completion of such course of instruction, a degree acceptable to the applicable licensing board as the sole requirement, or as one (1) requirement, for the applicable licensing board’s granting of the applicable professional license; and
    5. (E) Is a party to a currently effective written agreement with the division or the Board of Control for Southern Regional Education, which agreement sets forth the terms and conditions under which, and the number of eligible students for which, grant disbursements will be made, and the amount of the grant disbursements to be made with respect to each eligible student by the division to the participating board or to the Board of Control for Southern Regional Education for the benefit of a participating institution;
17. (17) "Program" means the Arkansas Health Education Grant Program administered by the division;

18. (18) “Qualified service” means any one of the following:

    1. (A) A branch of the Uniformed Military Service;
    2. (B) An accredited medical residency program; or
    3. (C) An advanced dental education program that prepares a dental student for specialty practice and satisfies the requirements of the respective specialty board;
19. (18) “Regional contract program” is a program that is available to eligible students through the Southern Regional Education Compact, Arkansas Code § 6-4-101 et seq. and the Board of Control for Southern Regional Education’s currently written effective agreements with participating institutions on behalf of the state;

20. (19)

    1. (A) "Resident" means an individual who is determined by the division to be a bona fide resident of the state on the date of his or her application for a grant and on the date that was six (6) months prior to the date of such application, and at all times between such dates, under the guidelines set forth in Appendix A to this part.
    2. (B) Such determination shall be made by the division on the basis of information provided by the individual in an affidavit made under oath on a form provided by the division or through any additional information requested by the division;
21. (20) “Satisfactory academic progress” means satisfactory academic progress toward timely completion of the participating institution’s prescribed curriculum, as defined by the participating institution, for the applicable academic period in question;
22. (21) “Southern Regional Education Board participating institution” means a participating institution that is a party to a currently effective written agreement with the Board of Control for Southern Regional Education in accordance with the State of Arkansas’ contracts with such board;
23. (22) "State" means the State of Arkansas; and
24. (23) “Year” means any period of three hundred sixty-five (365) consecutive days.