H.F. 2362 Section 1. Section 261.86, subsection 2, Code 2009, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. Educational assistance paid pursuant to this section 3 shall not exceed the resident tuition rate established for 4 institutions of higher learning under the control of the state 5 board of regents. If the amount appropriated in a fiscal 6 year for purposes of this section is insufficient to provide 7 educational assistance to all national guard members who apply 8 for the program and who are determined by the adjutant general 9 to be eligible for the program, the adjutant general shall, in 10 coordination with the commission, determine the distribution 11 of educational assistance. However, educational assistance 12 paid pursuant to this section shall not be less than fifty one 13 hundred percent of the resident tuition rate established for 14 institutions of higher learning under the control of the state 15 board of regents or fifty one hundred percent of the tuition 16 rate at the institution attended by the national guard member, 17 whichever is lower. Neither eligibility nor educational 18 assistance determinations shall be based upon a national guard 19 member’s unit, the location at which drills are attended, or 20 whether the eligible individual is a member of the Iowa army 21 or air national guard. 22 EXPLANATION 23 This bill relates to the assistance amount under the 24 national guard educational assistance program in accordance 25 with Code section 261.86. 26 Under current law, if appropriations are not sufficient, 27 the adjutant general, in coordination with the college student 28 aid commission, determines the distribution of assistance. 29 However, the assistance amount cannot be less than 50 percent 30 of resident tuition rate established for institutions of higher 31 learning under the control of the state board of regents or 50 32 percent of the tuition rate at the institution attended by the 33 national guard member, whichever is lower. The bill changes 34 the required percentages to 100 percent. 35 -1- LSB 5993HH (2) 83 jp/nh 1/ 1