(a) Educational expenses are paid either in the form of a scholarship or a reimbursement. Scholarships will be paid where Police Corps participants are currently enrolled in an approved course of study in an institution of higher education. Reimbursements will be paid to participants for educational expenses incurred prior to admission to the Police Corps. In certain circumstances, a Police Corps participant may receive a reimbursement for past expenses and a scholarship for current expenses.

(b) Requests for payment of educational expenses by a Police Corps participant should be submitted to the Director through the State Police Corps agency.

(1) Educational expenses are expenses that are directly attributable to a course of education leading to the award of either a baccalaureate or graduate degree, and may include:

(i) Tuition, in an amount billed by the institution of higher education;

(ii) Fees, in an amount billed by the institution of higher education;

(iii) Cost of books required to be purchased pursuant to the curriculum in which the candidate is enrolled;

(iv) Cost of transportation from the candidate's home to school, calculated at actual cost or the current prevailing rate for mileage reimbursement for federal travel;

(v) Cost of room and board;

(vi) Miscellaneous expenses not to exceed $250 per academic semester.

(2) A participant receiving a scholarship may submit payment requests prior to the commencement of each subsequent academic year in which he/she is enrolled in an institution of higher education.

(3) For participants currently enrolled in an institution of higher education, each payment request must be accompanied by:

(i) A certification from the institution that the participant is maintaining satisfactory academic progress;

(ii) A certification by or on behalf of the State or local police force to which the participant will be assigned that the participant's course of study includes appropriate preparation for police service.

(4) The maximum Police Corps payment per participant per academic year, whether in the form of scholarship or reimbursement, is $7,500. In the case of a participant who is pursuing a course of educational study during substantially an entire calendar year, the maximum payment will be $10,000 per such calendar year.

(5) The total of all Police Corps scholarship or reimbursement payments to any one participant shall not exceed $30,000.

(6) Police Corps scholarship payments will be made directly to the institution of higher education that the student is attending. Each institution of higher education receiving a Police Corps scholarship payment shall remit to such student any funds in excess of the costs of tuition, fees, and room and board payable to the institution.

(7) Reimbursements for past expenses will be made directly to the Police Corps participant. One half of the reimbursement will be paid after the participant is sworn in and starts the first year of required service. The remainder will be paid upon successful completion of the first year of required service. The Director may, upon a showing of good cause, advance the date of the first reimbursement payment to an individual participant.