House File 2230 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY WORTHAN, VAN FOSSEN, GRASSLEY,
MAY, BAUDLER, TJEPKES, DEYOE,
WINDSCHITL, DE BOEF, HUSEMAN,
RAYHONS, and KAUFMANN
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to a postsecondary tuition and mandatory fee
2 waiver for veterans attending community colleges or state
3 universities and making appropriations.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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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 and mandatory fee
1 25 charges for not more than one hundred twenty=eight semester
1 26 credit hours or eight semesters of study, or the trimester or
1 27 quarter equivalent, less the amount of any fees paid under 10
1 28 U.S.C. } 2107(c) or 38 U.S.C. } 3104(a)(7)(A), if applicable,
1 29 for a student who is a veteran. The limitation on credit
1 30 hours and semesters of study shall be applied cumulatively
1 31 within the state postsecondary education system. The waiver
1 32 shall apply only for the amount of tuition and mandatory fee
1 33 charges that exceeds the total amount of any state and federal
1 34 education benefits, grants, or scholarships received by the
1 35 veteran, including but not limited to the federal Pell grant
2 1 and the federal Montgomery GI bill.
2 2 (2) The department of veterans affairs shall verify that
2 3 the veteran meets the requirements of this lettered paragraph.
2 4 (3) For purposes of this lettered paragraph, "veteran"
2 5 means a resident of this state who meets all of the following
2 6 conditions:
2 7 (a) Was a resident of this state at the time of entry into
2 8 the United States armed forces, reserve forces of the United
2 9 States, or the Iowa or other state national guard and is
2 10 currently a resident of this state.
2 11 (b) Served in active federal service after September 11,
2 12 2001.
2 13 (c) Received hazardous duty pay.
2 14 (d) Was discharged under honorable conditions.
2 15 (4) There is appropriated from the general fund of the
2 16 state to the board each fiscal year, an amount necessary to
2 17 pay for the tuition waived by a community college pursuant to
2 18 this lettered paragraph.
2 19 e. The board may designate that a portion of the tuition
2 20 moneys collected from students be used for student aid
2 21 purposes.
2 22 Sec. 2. Section 262.9, subsection 18, Code Supplement
2 23 2007, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
2 24 NEW PARAGRAPH. c. (1) Direct each institution of higher
2 25 education to waive tuition and mandatory fee charges for not
2 26 more than one hundred twenty=eight semester credit hours or
2 27 eight semesters of undergraduate study, or thirty=six semester
2 28 credit hours or four semesters of postgraduate study, or the
2 29 trimester or quarter equivalent, less the amount of any fees
2 30 paid under 10 U.S.C. } 2107(c) or 38 U.S.C. } 3104(a)(7)(A),
2 31 if applicable, for a student who is a veteran. The limitation
2 32 on credit hours and semesters of study shall be applied
2 33 cumulatively within the state postsecondary education system.
2 34 The waiver shall apply only for the amount of tuition and
2 35 mandatory fee charges that exceeds the total amount of any
3 1 state and federal education benefits, grants, or scholarships
3 2 received by the veteran, including but not limited to the
3 3 federal Pell grant and the federal Montgomery GI bill.
3 4 Tuition and fees shall be waived for the veteran until the
3 5 veteran reaches the limitation on credit hours or attains an
3 6 undergraduate degree, whichever occurs first; or, if the
3 7 veteran has an undergraduate degree at the time of enrollment,
3 8 until the veteran reaches the limitation on credit hours or
3 9 attains a master's degree, whichever occurs first; or, if the
3 10 veteran has a master's degree at the time of enrollment, until
3 11 the veteran reaches the limitation on credit hours or attains
3 12 a doctorate, whichever occurs first.
3 13 (2) The department of veterans affairs shall verify that
3 14 the veteran meets the requirements of this lettered paragraph.
3 15 (3) For purposes of this lettered paragraph, "veteran"
3 16 means a resident of this state who meets all of the following
3 17 conditions:
3 18 (a) Was a resident of this state at the time of entry into
3 19 the United States armed forces, reserve forces of the United
3 20 States, or the Iowa or other state national guard and is
3 21 currently a resident of this state.
3 22 (b) Served in active federal service after September 11,
3 23 2001.
3 24 (c) Received hazardous duty pay.
3 25 (d) Was discharged under honorable conditions.
3 26 (4) There is appropriated from the general fund of the
3 27 state to the board, for each fiscal year, an amount necessary
3 28 to pay for the tuition waived by an institution pursuant to
3 29 this lettered paragraph.
3 30 EXPLANATION
3 31 This bill requires community colleges and state
3 32 universities to waive tuition and mandatory fee charges for
3 33 not more than 128 semester credit hours or eight semesters,
3 34 whichever is longer, or 50 graduate or doctoral semester hours
3 35 of coursework, minus senior reserve officers' training corps
4 1 scholarship and federal veterans administration's vocational
4 2 rehabilitation and education program funds, if applicable, and
4 3 any other state and federal education benefits, grants, or
4 4 scholarships received by the veteran, including but not
4 5 limited to the federal Pell grant and the federal Montgomery
4 6 GI bill. The bill makes a standing, unlimited appropriation
4 7 to the department of education and the state board of regents
4 8 to pay for the tution waived by the institutions.
4 9 Tuition shall be waived for the veteran until the veteran
4 10 reaches the limitation on credit hours or the degree sought,
4 11 whichever occurs first. Tuition will be waived until the
4 12 veteran attains an undergraduate degree or, if the veteran has
4 13 an undergraduate degree, until attaining a master's degree,
4 14 or, if the veteran has a master's degree, until achieving a
4 15 doctorate. The limitation on credit hours and semesters of
4 16 study shall be applied cumulatively within the state
4 17 postsecondary education system.
4 18 The bill defines veteran to mean a resident of this state
4 19 who served in federal active service after September 11, 2001,
4 20 while in the United States armed forces, reserve forces of the
4 21 United States, or the Iowa or other state national guard, who
4 22 received hazardous duty pay, and who was discharged under
4 23 honorable conditions.
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