(1) Grants established under ORS § 348.260 shall be awarded by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission in the manner provided in this section.

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(2) Persons interested in obtaining a grant established under ORS § 348.260 may apply to the Director of the Office of Student Access and Completion for a grant.

(3) The director shall screen or cause to be screened the applications and shall determine for each available grant the person best qualified to receive that grant. A qualified applicant is eligible to receive a grant established under ORS § 348.260 if:

(a) The applicant’s financial need is such that in the opinion of the director financial aid is warranted; and

(b) The applicant plans to be a student at the eligible post-secondary institution where the grant is to be used.

(4) The director shall not discriminate for or against any applicant for a grant.

(5) Nothing in this section or ORS § 348.260, 348.505 to 348.615, 348.696 or 348.992 shall be construed to require any institution to admit a grant recipient or to attempt to control or influence the policies of the institution.

(6) Whenever funds are not available to award grants to all qualified students, the director may give priority to applicants who are or plan to be full-time students at the eligible post-secondary institution where the grant is to be used. A student shall be considered to be a full-time student if the combination of credit hours at more than one eligible post-secondary institution equals full-time attendance, according to the institution disbursing the grant funds.

(7) As used in this section, ‘discriminate’ has the meaning given ‘discrimination’ in ORS § 659.850. [Formerly 351.630; 1973 c.721 § 3; 1977 c.725 § 4; 1993 c.45 § 286; 1997 c.203 § 1; 1997 c.524 § 4; 2001 c.321 § 4; 2010 c.20 § 1; 2011 c.637 § 147; 2013 c.747 § 89; 2015 c.513 § 15; 2017 c.66 § 33]