(a) To be eligible to participate in the competition under § 487.104, a high school student or an undergraduate student at a postsecondary educational institution must:
(1) be nominated and sponsored by a rural community, which sponsorship must include financial support;
(2) be a Texas resident under Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Education Code;
(3) if the person is a high school student, be in the upper 25 percent of the student’s high school class, if the class contains 48 or more students, and intend to enter a postsecondary educational institution; and
(4) if the person is an undergraduate student, be in the upper 25 percent of the student’s class or have a cumulative grade average that is equal to or greater than the equivalent of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and be enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution.
(b) If a person is neither a high school student nor an undergraduate student, the person must be eligible for participation in the competition under rules adopted by the department.