§ 115C-562.3.  Verification of eligibility; information from other State agencies.

(a) To verify that the domicile requirements of G.S. 115C-366 are met for State residency, the Authority shall establish a domicile determination system and shall establish rules for determination of domicile within the State in accordance with this subsection. The Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Revenue, the State Board of Elections, and the State Chief Information Officer each shall expeditiously cooperate with the Authority in verifying electronically, or by other similarly effective and efficient means, evidence submitted to the Authority for the purposes of establishing the domicile required by G.S. 115C-366 for State residency. The Authority shall accept any of the following as evidence of domicile within the State:

(1) Verified State drivers license or State identification card.

(2) Verified State voter registration.

(3) Verified receipt of public benefits from a State agency.

(4) Verified filing of State income taxes for the year prior to application.

(5) Verified enrollment in a North Carolina public school at the time of application.

(6) An electronically submitted copy of one of the following current documents that show the name of the parent and an address within the State:

a. A utility bill.

b. A bank statement.

c. A government check.

d. A paycheck.

e. Any other government document.

(a1) In addition to the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, the Authority may seek verification of information on any application for scholarship grants from eligible students. The Authority shall select and verify four percent (4%) of applications for scholarship grant funds awarded under G.S. 115C-562.2(b2)(1) through (b2)(3) annually, including those with apparent errors on the face of the application. The Authority shall establish rules for the verification process and may use the federal verification requirements process for free and reduced-price lunch applications as guidance for those rules. If a household fails to cooperate with verification efforts, the Authority shall revoke the award of the scholarship grant to the eligible student.

(b) Household members of applicants for scholarship grants shall authorize the Authority to access information needed for verification efforts conducted under this section held by other State agencies, including the Department of Revenue, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Public Instruction.

(c) By December 1 of each year, the Department of Public Instruction shall provide the Authority the average State per pupil allocation for that fiscal year to determine the maximum scholarship amount for eligible students to be awarded in the following fiscal year in accordance with G.S. 115C-562.2(b2). (2013-360, s. 8.29(a); 2014-100, s. 8.25(c); 2021-180, s. 8A.3(f); 2023-134, s. 8A.6(d).)