(a) The fund established by the 76th Texas Legislature to provide financial assistance to Texas ARE Candidates shall be administered by the Board or, if authorized by law, by an independent scholarship administrator approved by the Board. As mandated by §1051.653 of the Texas Occupations Code, the Architect Registration Examination Financial Assistance Fund (AREFAF) shall be funded by a mandatory fee from all Texas registered Architects.     
      (b) A one-time maximum award of $500 shall be awarded to each approved applicant. Each scholarship recipient shall meet the following criteria:      
        (1) Each scholarship recipient shall be a Texas resident who has resided in Texas for at least 18 months immediately preceding the date the recipient submitted his or her application for the AREFAF award;       
        (2) Each scholarship recipient shall be a Candidate in good standing or shall be an Architect who completed the ARE during the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of application for the AREFAF award;       
        (3) Each scholarship recipient shall demonstrate that the examination fee for the ARE would pose or has posed a financial hardship for him or her; and       
        (4) Each scholarship recipient shall have attained passing scores on sections of the ARE for which the combined fees total at least $500.       
      (c) The Board shall not award an AREFAF scholarship to any of the following persons:      
        (1) any member of the Board;       
        (2) any employee of the Board;       
        (3) any person who assists in the administration of the AREFAF;       
        (4) any current or former member of the Texas Legislature; or       
        (5) any family member of any person described in subsection (c)(1), (c)(2), (c)(3), or (c)(4)of this section.       
      (d) Each applicant shall apply for an AREFAF award on an authorized form available in the Board's office or from an independent scholarship administrator that has been approved to administer the AREFAF.     
      (e) Each applicant shall be notified of the approval or rejection of the applicant's AREFAF application. Rejection of an application shall include an explanation of the reason for rejection.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §1.52 adopted to be effective February 27, 2001, 26 TexReg 1709; amended to be effective July 18, 2007, 32 TexReg 4394