Bill Text: VA SB1389 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; eligibility for benefits.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-29 - Stricken at request of patron in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N) [SB1389 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2015-SB1389-Introduced.html
15103809D Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That §23-7.4:1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows: §23-7.4:1. Waiver of tuition and certain charges and fees for eligible children and spouses of certain military service members, eligible children and spouses of certain public safety personnel, and certain foreign students. A. There is hereby established the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program. Qualified survivors and dependents of military service members, who have been admitted to any public institution of higher education or other public accredited postsecondary institution granting a degree, diploma, or certificate in the Commonwealth of Virginia, upon certification to the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services of eligibility under this subsection, shall be admitted free of tuition and all required fees. The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program shall be implemented pursuant to the following: 1. For the purposes of this subsection, "qualified
survivors and dependents" means the spouse or a child between the ages of
16 and 29 of (i)
a military service member who, while serving as an active duty member in the
United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces Reserves, 2. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services may certify dependents above the age of 29 in those cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the dependent child from using his benefits before the age of 30.
Each year, from the funds available in the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Fund, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and its member institutions shall determine the amount and the manner in which financial assistance shall be made available to beneficiaries and shall make that information available to the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services for distribution. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall be responsible for disbursing to the institutions the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Commonwealth of Virginia to support the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Fund and shall report to the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services the beneficiaries' completion rate. The maximum amount to be expended for each such survivor or dependent pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed, when combined with any other form of scholarship, grant, or waiver, the actual costs related to the survivor's or dependent's educational expenses allowed under this subsection.
B. The surviving spouse and any child between the ages of 16 and 25 whose parent or whose spouse has been killed in the line of duty while employed or serving as a law-enforcement officer, including as a campus police officer appointed under Chapter 17 (§23-232 et seq.), sworn law-enforcement officer, firefighter, special forest warden pursuant to §10.1-1135, member of a rescue squad, special agent of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, state correctional, regional or local jail officer, regional jail or jail farm superintendent, sheriff, or deputy sheriff, member of the Virginia National Guard while serving on official state duty or federal duty under Title 32 of the United States Code, or member of the Virginia Defense Force while serving on official state duty, and any person whose spouse was killed in the line of duty while employed or serving in any of such occupations, shall be entitled to free undergraduate tuition and the payment of required fees at any public institution of higher education or other public accredited postsecondary institution granting a degree, diploma, or certificate in Virginia under the following conditions: 1. The chief administrative officer of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, emergency medical services agency, law-enforcement agency, or other appropriate agency or the Superintendent of State Police certifies that the deceased parent or spouse was employed or serving as a law-enforcement officer, sworn law-enforcement officer, firefighter, special forest warden pursuant to §10.1-1135, or member of a rescue squad or in any other capacity as specified in this section and was killed in the line of duty while serving or living in the Commonwealth; and 2. The child or spouse shall have been offered admission to such public institution of higher education or other public accredited postsecondary institution. Any child or spouse who believes he is eligible shall apply to the public institution of higher education or other accredited postsecondary institution to which he has been admitted for the benefits provided by this subsection. The institution shall determine the eligibility of the applicant for these benefits and shall also ascertain that the recipients are in attendance and are making satisfactory progress. The amounts payable for tuition, institutional charges and required fees, and books and supplies for the applicants shall be waived by the institution accepting the students. C. For the purposes of subsection B, user fees, such as room and board charges, shall not be included in this authorization to waive tuition and fees. However, all required educational and auxiliary fees shall be waived along with tuition. D. Tuition and required fees may be waived for a student from a foreign country enrolled in a public institution of higher education through a student exchange program approved by such institution, provided the number of foreign students does not exceed the number of students paying full tuition and required fees to the institution under the provisions of the exchange program for a given three-year period. E. Each public institution of higher education and other public accredited postsecondary institution granting a degree, diploma, or certificate in Virginia shall include in its catalogue or equivalent publication a statement describing the benefits provided by subsections A and B. 2. That the provisions of this act shall not affect the eligibility of any person for benefits under the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program who was certified as eligible for benefits under such program prior to July 1, 2015. |