P.R. Laws tit. 18, § 910t
(a) Creation; amount. — The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico shall annually grant, not later than June 1 of each year, a scholarship to teachers who are in active service in the Department of Education of Puerto Rico, accepted in a graduate program (MA) in education majoring in special education and to students starting their third or fourth year of studies in an educational program majoring in special education, chargeable to the Special Fund created for said purposes by this section. The sum of the scholarship to be granted shall be fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) per year, which shall be distributed at the rate of appropriations of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for four (4) undergraduate students and appropriations of three thousand dollars ($3,000) for three (3) graduate students (active teachers), selected each year. The scholarship to be granted may be used for studies to be conducted either in Puerto Rico, or in any other jurisdiction within the United States of America. The funds of this Scholarship may be used to defray the tuition costs, books, and room and board; as well as any other matter strictly related [to] the graduate or undergraduate studies at issue. Once selected by the House of Representatives, every scholarship recipient shall be entitled to receive funds for a maximum of three (3) years for undergraduate students and two (2) years for graduate students, which shall be defrayed through the contribution of this section, provided he/she fully complies with the full academic load by semester and maintains an academic grade point average of three (3.00) or [higher] at the end of each semester.
(b) Selection and supervision of scholarship recipients. — The Committee on Education and Culture of the House of Representatives shall draft regulations to address all matters related to applying for the scholarship, selecting the scholarship recipients, and granting of the funds associated [with] this scholarship. These regulations shall also require that the academic load presented by the scholarship recipients complies with the requirements for the certification corresponding to special education teachers that is set forth by the Puerto Rico Teachers’ Certification Regulations and the Teaching Career Regulations of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico. Scholarship recipients shall be selected as follows: four (4) undergraduate education students majoring in special education and three (3) active teachers admitted into a graduate educational program majoring in special education.
The Committee on Education and Culture of the House of Representatives shall select the candidates to receive the scholarship in accordance with the available funds. Among the criteria for granting of the scholarship, the Committee shall consider the financial needs of the applicant, the cost of the studies, the academic level to which he/she aspires within the offerings in any special education major, as well as other factors as deemed by the members of the Committee. If the number of applicants for this scholarship is less than seven (7), the Committee on Education and Culture may [distribute] the remaining funds among the selected scholarship recipients.
(c) Requirement for scholarship recipients. — The applicants for post-graduate studies shall present evidence of the academic degree they hold from a duly accredited private or public university in Puerto Rico or the United States, the grade point average of three (3.00) or [higher], and of having been admitted into a graduate education program (MA) majoring in special education. The third or fourth year university level students who aspire to obtain a bachelor’s degree in education majoring in special education that apply for this scholarship shall comply with a complete academic load directed toward obtaining a degree in special education majoring in special education [sic] and maintain a grade point average of three (3.00) points or [higher]. All applicants for this scholarship shall present evidence of having permanent residence in Puerto Rico, being U.S. citizen and of being up-to-date in their obligation with the Department of the Treasury, the Municipal Revenues Collection Center, and the Child Support Administration.
(d) Service commitment agreement. — Every scholarship recipient shall execute a commitment agreement with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico to render educational services in schools of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico as special education teacher, special education supervisor, school director in special education enrollment schools, or to render educational services in private learning centers that offer direct services to persons with disabilities within a period of thirty (30) days [after] having been notified of their selection. Through this service commitment agreement, the scholarship recipient commits to rendering once his/her studies are completed services in his/her profession and specialization in the Department of Education of Puerto Rico or in private learning centers that offer direct educational services to persons with disabilities for a number of years equal to the number of years for which he/she obtained the benefits of this scholarship. This agreement shall be an indispensable requirement for the granting of funds. If upon completion of his/her studies, the scholarship recipient fails to comply with the obligation contracted, without reason to justify it, he/she shall reimburse the total funds that were granted through the scholarship in addition to the corresponding interests to the House of Representative of Puerto Rico, within a term to be fixed through regulations and which shall not exceed that during which the [funds] were obtained.
(e) Proof of use of funds. — Every scholarship recipient shall submit to the Committee on Education and Culture a certification from the university in which he/she is enrolled, and the study program he/she shall follow when starting to use the funds of this scholarship. At the end of each semester, he/she shall submit a report to the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, with a copy to the Committee on Education and Culture, itemizing the use of the funds granted for the purposes requested and established in this section. He/she shall also submit a certification of studies and academic achievement from the registrar of the institution in which he/she is enrolled not later than two (2) weeks [following] the end of each school semester.
(f) Special fund. — A special fund is hereby established in the budget of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, starting with an appropriation of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) in the General Budget Expenses of the Government of Puerto Rico for Fiscal Year 2007-2008. These funds may be matched with private, Commonwealth, municipal or federal contributions.
History —Sept. 13, 2007, No. 119, §§ 2—7.