4. a. A grant distributed to an eligible student under the Community College Opportunity Grant Program shall cover the remaining cost of tuition and approved educational fees, which is not covered by State, federal, or any other need-based grant or merit scholarship, for up to 18 credits in any semester. The full amount of State, federal, and institutional need-based grant or merit scholarships received by an eligible student shall be applied to the amount of tuition and approved educational fees charged to an eligible student. The remaining balance of tuition and approved educational fees shall be covered by a grant under the program.

b. A full award under the program to a student at a county college shall be equal to the student’s full cost of approved tuition and approved educational fees, subject to the prior application of all other State, federal, and institutional need-based grants and merit scholarships against those costs, for up to 18 credits in any semester, for an eligible student for a full-time semester in an associate’s degree, certificate, or three plus one degree program. For an eligible student enrolled in at least six credits but less than 12 credits in an associate’s degree, certificate, or three plus one degree program, a grant under the program shall be pro-rated from the full-time approved tuition and approved educational fees based on the number of credits for which that student is enrolled.

c. The authority shall, for each county college, annually establish a maximum individual grant amount awarded under the program. The maximum individual grant amount for each county college shall not increase by more than three percent over the prior year.

L.2021, c.26, s.4.