H.F. 2491 Section 1. Section 262.9, Code 2026, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 43. a. Direct the institutions of higher 3 education governed by the board to waive all tuition and 4 mandatory fees for a veteran, as defined in section 35.1, who 5 has a permanent service-connected disability rating of one 6 hundred percent as certified by the United States department 7 of veterans affairs and who applies to and is admitted for 8 enrollment at the institution. 9 b. A veteran shall only be eligible for a waiver under this 10 subsection if the veteran is not eligible for or has exhausted 11 any other available federal or state sources of financial 12 assistance for such tuition and fees, including but not limited 13 to the Pell grant program and education benefits from the 14 United States department of veterans affairs. The institution 15 shall prorate the waiver each semester to cover any difference 16 between other federal or state financial assistance obtained by 17 the veteran and the amount of such tuition and fees. 18 EXPLANATION 19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 20 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 21 This bill requires regents institutions to waive all 22 tuition and mandatory fees for a veteran who has a permanent 23 service-connected disability rating of 100 percent and who 24 applies to and is admitted for enrollment at the institution. 25 A veteran shall only be eligible for a waiver if the veteran 26 is not eligible for or has exhausted any other available 27 federal or state sources of financial assistance for such 28 tuition and fees. The institution shall prorate the waiver to 29 cover any difference between other federal or state financial 30 assistance obtained and the amount of such tuition and fees. 31 -1- LSB 5952HV (1) 91 je/ns 1/ 1