J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                        607

284G.

(c) From the examination papers which are graded with a pass-
ing mark, the State Scholarship Board shall certify [not more than
one hundred and fifty-two applicants for scholarships. In each county
and in each legislative district of Baltimore City a number of schol-
arships shall be awarded equal to the combined membership from
that county or legislative district in the two Houses of the General
Assembly, and] each year a number of applicants for scholarships
in accordance with the allowable annual quota for each county and
each legislative district of Baltimore City. The allowable annual
quota for each county and each legislative district of Baltimore City
shall be determined each year by the State Scholarship Board and
shall consist of that number of scholarships which is equal to the
combined membership from that county or legislative district in the
two Houses of the General Assembly at its session next preceding
the making of awards, or concurrent therewith if the General As-
sembly be in session when such awards are made, increased or
decreased by such number of scholarships as is required, by reason
of the filling of vacancies, to insure that the overall maximum num-
ber of scholarships for each county and legislative district shall not
be exceeded. Over a period of four consecutive scholastic years and
thereafter from year to year the total number of scholarships
awarded and outstanding, including those awarded to fill vacancies,
shall not exceed a combined overall maximum number in each county
and legislative district equal to the sum of the combined member-
ship from that county or legislative district in the two Houses of the
General Assembly during the most current successive year in which
awards shall be made and the preceding three years. The scholar-
ships thus awarded shall be to those qualified applicants who received
the highest grades in their respective county or legislative district.
If for any reason a recipient of a scholarship on the graded list for
a county or legislative district shall refuse or for any reason be
unable to accept and use the scholarship, the next qualified applicant
on the graded list in such county or legislative district shall be
selected. It is the legislative intent that applicants be certified for
the full number of scholarships, that vacancies be filled, and that
unfilled scholarships and unused funds be distributed so long as the
requirements of this section are observed. If in any county or legis-
lative district there are fewer applicants in any year than its quota
either available for certification or able to accept or use the scholar-
ship, the State Scholarship Board shall certify the number of schol-
arships by which the quota is unfilled from a state-wide list of
qualified applicants selected on the basis of the highest grades. In
addition to the number of scholarships to be awarded in any year,
as provided in this section, the State Scholarship Board shall award
scholarships to fill vacancies, if any, that have occurred. If a student
who attends a junior college under a scholarship awarded hereunder
does not elect to transfer to a college or university to complete a
four-year curriculum as provided in this section, or if any other
holder of a scholarship discontinues its use for any reason before the
expiration of four years from the award thereof, the scholarship
shall be considered as vacated and the vacancy shall be filled and
the scholarship held as provided herein for other vacancies that may
occur. Such a scholarship shall be awarded to a qualified applicant
from the same county or legislative district as the student who
vacated the scholarship, or in the absence of such an applicant, the