House File 2161 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY BAILEY
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to a postsecondary tuition waiver for veterans
2 attending community colleges or state universities and making
3 appropriations.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 6140HH 82
6 kh/nh/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 260C.14, subsection 2, Code 2007, is
1 2 amended to read as follows:
1 3 2. Have authority to determine tuition rates for
1 4 instruction.
1 5 a. Tuition for residents of Iowa shall not exceed the
1 6 lowest tuition rate per semester, or the equivalent, charged
1 7 by an institution of higher education under the state board of
1 8 regents for a full=time resident student. However, except for
1 9 students enrolled under chapter 261C, if a local school
1 10 district pays tuition for a resident pupil of high school age,
1 11 the limitation on tuition for residents of Iowa shall not
1 12 apply, the amount of tuition shall be determined by the board
1 13 of directors of the community college with the consent of the
1 14 local school board, and the pupil shall not be included in the
1 15 full=time equivalent enrollment of the community college for
1 16 the purpose of computing general aid to the community college.
1 17 b. Tuition for nonresidents of Iowa shall not be less than
1 18 the marginal cost of instruction of a student attending the
1 19 college.
1 20 c. A lower tuition for nonresidents may be permitted under
1 21 a reciprocal tuition agreement between a merged area and an
1 22 educational institution in another state, if the agreement is
1 23 approved by the director.
1 24 d. (1) The board shall waive tuition charges for not more
1 25 than sixty semester credit hours of study, or the trimester or
1 26 quarter equivalent, for a student who is a veteran if the
1 27 veteran's benefits under the federal Montgomery GI bill have
1 28 expired. The limitation on credit hours shall be applied
1 29 cumulatively within the state postsecondary education system.
1 30 The waiver shall apply only for the amount of tuition charges
1 31 that exceeds the total amount of any state and federal
1 32 education benefits, grants, or scholarships received by the
1 33 veteran, including but not limited to the federal Pell grant.
1 34 Upon completing the initial twelve semester credit hours, or
1 35 the trimester or quarter equivalent, for which tuition charges
2 1 were waived under this paragraph, the veteran shall have a
2 2 cumulative grade point average of two point five or higher on
2 3 a four=point grade scale in order to continue to be eligible
2 4 for the tuition waiver. This paragraph shall not be construed
2 5 to exempt the veteran from paying mandatory fees customarily
2 6 assessed by the community college.
2 7 (2) The department of veterans affairs shall verify that
2 8 the veteran meets the requirements of this lettered paragraph.
2 9 (3) For purposes of this lettered paragraph, "veteran"
2 10 means the same as defined in section 35.1.
2 11 (4) There is appropriated from the general fund of the
2 12 state to the board each fiscal year an amount necessary to pay
2 13 for the tuition waived by a community college pursuant to this
2 14 lettered paragraph.
2 15 e. The board may designate that a portion of the tuition
2 16 moneys collected from students be used for student aid
2 17 purposes.
2 18 Sec. 2. Section 262.9, subsection 18, Code Supplement
2 19 2007, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
2 20 NEW PARAGRAPH. c. (1) Direct each institution of higher
2 21 education to waive tuition charges for not more than sixty
2 22 semester credit hours of undergraduate study, or the trimester
2 23 or quarter equivalent, for a student who is a veteran if the
2 24 veteran's benefits under the federal Montgomery GI bill have
2 25 expired. The limitation on credit hours shall be applied
2 26 cumulatively within the state postsecondary education system.
2 27 The waiver shall apply only for the amount of tuition charges
2 28 that exceeds the total amount of any state and federal
2 29 education benefits, grants, or scholarships received by the
2 30 veteran, including but not limited to the federal Pell grant.
2 31 Tuition shall be waived for the veteran until the veteran
2 32 reaches the limitation on credit hours or attains an
2 33 undergraduate degree, whichever occurs first. Upon completing
2 34 the initial twelve semester credit hours, or the trimester or
2 35 quarter equivalent, for which tuition charges were waived
3 1 under this paragraph, the veteran shall have a cumulative
3 2 grade point average of two point five or higher on a
3 3 four=point grade scale in order to continue to be eligible for
3 4 the tuition waiver. This paragraph shall not be construed to
3 5 exempt the veteran from paying mandatory fees customarily
3 6 assessed by the institution.
3 7 (2) The department of veterans affairs shall verify that
3 8 the veteran meets the requirements of this lettered paragraph.
3 9 (3) For purposes of this lettered paragraph, "veteran"
3 10 means the same as defined in section 35.1.
3 11 (4) There is appropriated from the general fund of the
3 12 state to the board, for each fiscal year, an amount necessary
3 13 to pay for the tuition waived by an institution pursuant to
3 14 this lettered paragraph.
3 15 EXPLANATION
3 16 This bill requires community colleges and state
3 17 universities to waive tuition charges for not more than 60
3 18 semester credit hours of coursework, minus any state and
3 19 federal education benefits, grants, or scholarships received
3 20 by the veteran, including but not limited to the federal Pell
3 21 grant, if the veteran's federal Montgomery GI bill benefits
3 22 have expired. The bill makes a standing, unlimited
3 23 appropriation to the department of education and the state
3 24 board of regents to pay for the tuition waived by the
3 25 institutions.
3 26 Upon completing the initial 12 semester hours of credit,
3 27 for which tuition charges were waived, the veteran shall have
3 28 a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0
3 29 grade scale in order to continue to be eligible for the
3 30 tuition waiver. The bill does not exempt the veteran from
3 31 paying mandatory fees customarily assessed by the community
3 32 college or regents university. Tuition shall be waived for
3 33 the veteran until the veteran reaches the limitation on credit
3 34 hours or achieves an undergraduate degree. The limitation on
3 35 credit hours and semesters of study shall be applied
4 1 cumulatively within the state postsecondary education system.
4 2 LSB 6140HH 82
4 3 kh/nh/5