SB 854 — AN ACT CONCERNING TUITION AND FEE WAIVERS FOR VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE CONNECTICUT NATIONAL GUARD AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

General Assembly   RaisedSubstitute Bill No.

854 January Session, 2017   LCO*_____SB00854VA____030617____* No.AN ACT CONCERNING TUITION AND FEE WAIVERS FOR VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE CONNECTICUT NATIONAL GUARD AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

3868   *03868_______VA_* Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS   Introduced by:

  (VA)   AN ACT CONCERNING TUITION AND FEE WAIVERS FOR VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE CONNECTICUT NATIONAL GUARD AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

Said board of trustees shall also waive for any such veteran the payment of any extension fees under section 10a-26 for educational extension programs and summer school sessions, as described in section 10a-26, (3) for any resident of Connecticut sixty-two years of age or older, provided, at the end of the regular registration period, there are enrolled in the course a sufficient number of students other than those persons eligible for waivers pursuant to this subdivision to offer the course in which such person intends to enroll and there is space available in such course after accommodating all such students, (4) for any student attending the Connecticut State Police Academy who is enrolled in a law enforcement program at said academy offered in coordination with a regional community-technical college which accredits courses taken in such program, (5) for any active member of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who (A) has been certified by the Adjutant General or such Adjutant General's designee as a member in good standing of the guard, and (B) is enrolled or accepted for admission to such institution on a full-time or part-time basis in an undergraduate degree-granting program.

Said board of trustees shall also waive for any such member the payment of any extension fees under section 10a-26 for educational extension programs and summer school sessions, as described in section 10a-26, (6) for any dependent child of a (A) police officer, as defined in section 7-294a, or supernumerary or auxiliary police officer, (B) firefighter, as defined in section 7-323j, or member of a volunteer fire company, (C) municipal employee, or (D) state employee, as defined in section 5-154, killed in the line of duty, (7) for any resident of the state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a specified terrorist victim who was a resident of this state, (8) for any dependent child of a resident of the state who was killed in a multivehicle crash at or near the intersection of Routes 44 and 10 and Nod Road in Avon on July 29, 2005, and (9) for any resident of the state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a person who was killed in action while performing active military duty with the armed forces of the United States on or after September 11, 2001, and who was a resident of this state.

Said board of trustees shall also waive for any such veteran the payment of any extension fees under section 10a-26 for educational extension programs and summer school sessions, as described in section 10a-26, (3) for any resident of Connecticut sixty-two years of age or older who has been accepted for admission to such institution, provided (A) such person is enrolled in a degree-granting program, or (B) at the end of the regular registration period, there are enrolled in the course a sufficient number of students other than those persons eligible for waivers pursuant to this subdivision to offer the course in which such person intends to enroll and there is space available in such course after accommodating all such students, (4) for any student attending the Connecticut Police Academy who is enrolled in a law enforcement program at said academy offered in coordination with the university which accredits courses taken in such program, (5) for any active member of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who (A) has been certified by the Adjutant General or such Adjutant General's designee as a member in good standing of the guard, and (B) is enrolled or accepted for admission to such institution on a full-time or part-time basis in an undergraduate or graduate degree-granting program.

Said board of trustees shall also waive for any such member the payment of any extension fees under section 10a-26 for educational extension programs and summer school sessions, as described in section 10a-26, (6) for any dependent child of a (A) police officer, as defined in section 7-294a, or supernumerary or auxiliary police officer, (B) firefighter, as defined in section 7-323j, or member of a volunteer fire company, (C) municipal employee, or (D) state employee, as defined in section 5-154, killed in the line of duty, (7) for any resident of this state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a specified terrorist victim who was a resident of the state, (8) for any dependent child of a resident of the state who was killed in a multivehicle crash at or near the intersection of Routes 44 and 10 and Nod Road in Avon on July 29, 2005, and (9) for any resident of the state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a person who was killed in action while performing active military duty with the armed forces of the United States on or after September 11, 2001, and who was a resident of this state.

Said board of trustees shall also waive for any such veteran the payment of any extension fees under section 10a-26 for educational extension programs and summer school sessions, as described in section 10a-26, (3) for any resident of Connecticut sixty-two years of age or older who has been accepted for admission to said institution, provided (A) such person is enrolled in a degree-granting program, or (B) at the end of the regular registration period, there are enrolled in the course a sufficient number of students other than those persons eligible for waivers pursuant to this subdivision to offer the course in which such person intends to enroll and there is space available in such course after accommodating all such students, (4) for any active member of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who (A) has been certified by the Adjutant General or such Adjutant General's designee as a member in good standing of the guard, and (B) is enrolled or accepted for admission to said institution on a full-time or part-time basis in an undergraduate or graduate degree-granting program.

Said board of trustees shall also waive for any such member the payment of any extension fees under section 10a-26 for educational extension programs and summer school sessions, as described in section 10a-26, (5) for any dependent child of a (A) police officer, as defined in section 7-294a, or supernumerary or auxiliary police officer, (B) firefighter, as defined in section 7-323j, or member of a volunteer fire company, (C) municipal employee, or (D) state employee, as defined in section 5-154, killed in the line of duty, (6) for any resident of the state who is the dependent child or surviving spouse of a specified terrorist victim who was a resident of the state, (7) for any dependent child of a resident of the state who was killed in a multivehicle crash at or near the intersection of Routes 44 and 10 and Nod Road in Avon on July 29, 2005, and (8) for any resident of the state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a person who was killed in action while performing active military duty with the armed forces of the United States on or after September 11, 2001, and who was a resident of this state.

(NEW) (h) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall waive the payment of course enrollment fees at Charter Oak State College (1) subject to the provisions of subsection (i) of this section, for any veteran who performed service in time of war, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, who has been accepted for admission to Charter Oak State College and is domiciled in this state at the time such veteran is accepted for admission to said institutions,institution, except that for the purposes of this subsection, "service in time of war" shall not include time spent in attendance at a military service academy, and (2) for any active member of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who (A) has been certified by the Adjutant General or the Adjutant General's designee as a member in good standing of the guard, and (B) is enrolled or accepted for admission to Charter Oak State College on a full-time or part-time basis in a degree-granting program.

If any personsuch veteran or member who receives a course enrollment fee waiver in accordance with the provisions of this subsection also receives educational reimbursement from an employer, such waiver shall be reduced by the amount of such educational reimbursement.

Such portion shall be calculated by multiplying (i) the total amount of such federal educational assistance to be paid to Charter Oak State College on behalf of such veteran by (ii) an amount obtained by dividing (I) the actual course enrollment fees charged by Charter Oak State College to such veteran by (II) the sum of the actual course enrollment fees and other fees charged by Charter Oak State College to such veteran.

4 July 1, 2017 10a-143 Statement of Purpose:Legislative Commissioners:

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VA Joint Favorable Subst.

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