§ 115C‑562.3.  Verification of eligibility; information from other State agencies.

(a) The Authority may seek verification of information on any application for scholarship grants from eligible students. The Authority shall select and verify six percent (6%) of applications annually, including those with apparent errors on the face of the application. The Authority shall establish rules for the verification process and may use the federal verification requirements process for free and reduced‑price lunch applications as guidance for those rules. If a household fails to cooperate with verification efforts, the Authority shall revoke the award of the scholarship grant to the eligible student.

(b) Household members of applicants for scholarship grants shall authorize the Authority to access information needed for verification efforts held by other State agencies, including the Department of Revenue, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Public Instruction. The Department of Public Instruction shall provide the Authority with public school enrollment information to establish eligibility pursuant to G.S. 115C‑562.1(3)a., as needed.

(c) By December 1 of each year, the Department of Public Instruction shall provide the Authority the average State per pupil allocation for that fiscal year to determine the maximum scholarship amount for eligible students to be awarded in the following fiscal year in accordance with G.S. 115C‑562.2(b). (2013‑360, s. 8.29(a); 2014‑100, s. 8.25(c); 2021‑180, s. 8A.3(f).)