As used in the teacher service scholarship program act:

(a) “Executive officer” means the chief executive officer of the state board of regents appointed under Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-3203a, and amendments thereto.

(b) “Qualified student” means a person who: (1) Is a resident of the state of Kansas; (2)(A) has been accepted for admission to or is enrolled in a course of instruction leading to licensure as a teacher in a hard-to-fill teaching discipline or in an underserved area; (B) is licensed as a teacher and is endorsed to teach in a field which is not a hard-to-fill teaching discipline or is not in an underserved area, but has been accepted for admission to, or is enrolled in, a course of instruction leading to endorsement in a hard-to-fill teaching discipline or in an underserved area; or (C) is licensed as a teacher and has been accepted for admission to, or is enrolled in, a course of instruction leading to a master’s degree in the field of education as a teacher in a hard-to-fill teaching discipline or in an underserved area; and (3) has qualified for the award of a scholarship under the teacher service scholarship program on the basis of having demonstrated scholastic ability, or who has previously so qualified and remains qualified for renewal of the scholarship on the basis of remaining in good standing and making satisfactory progress toward completion of the requirements of the course of instruction in which enrolled.

(c) “Hard-to-fill teaching discipline” means a teaching discipline in which there is a critical shortage of teachers as determined and specified by the state board of education.

(d) “Underserved area” means a geographic area of the state in which there is a critical shortage of teachers as determined and specified by the state board of education.