(a) If at any time a recipient of a scholarship fails to meet the standards and requirements for continued eligibility as provided by the selection committee pursuant to subsection (c) of Code Section 20-3-423, such recipient shall thereby lose eligibility for the scholarship and shall be obligated to repay the same as provided in Code Section 20-3-425. The selection committee shall promptly notify the authority when a recipient loses eligibility.

(b) In the event a scholarship recipient fails to meet the standards for retention or otherwise surrenders the scholarship, the committee may award a three-year, two-year, or one-year scholarship as appropriate to fill the vacancy and the scholarship shall begin in September immediately following the award. Nominees for a three-year, two-year, or one-year scholarship shall be submitted to the selection committee by the professor of military science at North Georgia College. The nominees shall be required to meet all criteria established for the four-year scholarship and they shall be selected from current members of the college Corps of Cadets at large. Such recipients of scholarships shall incur the same obligations as a four-year scholarship recipient; provided, however, that such recipients of scholarships of less than four years shall only be required to serve the number of years in the Georgia Army National Guard or number of years of active duty service in the United States Army or number of years in a combination of service in the active army and the Georgia Army National Guard which corresponds to the period or number of years of such scholarship.