1. (a) To qualify as an eligible institution under this subchapter, an institution must:

   1. (1) be a public junior college or public technical institute;
   2. (2) admit at least 50 students into a STEM program each academic year; and

   3. (3) develop partnerships with business and industry to:

      1. (A) identify local employment needs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields; and
      2. (B) provide part-time employment for students enrolled in a STEM program.

2. (b) To maintain eligibility, each year beginning with the third year following implementation of a scholarship program under this subchapter, an institution must demonstrate to the board that at least 70 percent of the institution's T-STEM Challenge Scholarship recipients, within twelve months of receipt of a scholarship, are:

   1. (1) employed; or
   2. (2) enrolled in courses leading to a certificate, associate, or baccalaureate degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1169 (H.B. 2910), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 26 (S.B. 1066), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.