Budget Amendment ID: FY2018-S3-202-R1

Redraft EDU 202

Tuition and Fee Waiver for Children of Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty

Messrs. Fattman, Humason, O'Connor and Ross moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting, after section 9, the following 2 sections:-

“SECTION 9A. Section 16 of chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out the ninth paragraph, as amended by section 5 of chapter 283 of the acts of 2016, and inserting in place thereof the following 4 paragraphs:-

There shall be, subject to appropriation, a public service scholarship program which shall provide scholarships to children or spouses of certain veterans and public employees for tuition at public or independent institutions of higher education in the commonwealth to pursue undergraduate studies.  An individual shall be eligible for the scholarship program if that individual is: (i) a child or spouse of a deceased public employee who, while in the performance of the public employee’s duties, including authorized training duty, and as a result of incident, accident or violence, was killed or sustained injuries that were the direct and proximate cause of the employee’s death; (ii) a child of a prisoner of war or of a military or service person missing in action; or (iii) a  child of a veteran whose service was credited to the commonwealth and who was killed in action or otherwise died as a result of that service. For the purposes of this section, “deceased public employee” shall mean a public employee working for a state or county government, a public institution of higher education in the commonwealth or a municipality, public school department or public school district or public authority who, while in the performance of the public employee’s duties and as a result of incident, accident or violence, was killed or sustained injuries that were the direct and proximate cause of the public employee’s death.

Upon admittance for undergraduate study at a public institution of higher education under this section, an eligible child or spouse shall be entitled to a full public service scholarship for student charges due for tuition, mandatory fees and room and board for on-campus housing during the period of attendance, subject to any restrictions included in the guidelines governing the program as established by the board; provided, however, that the child or spouse shall complete and submit a free application for federal student aid and shall accept any federal grant that the child or spouse is awarded  as a result of the child’s or spouse’s completion and submission of the application. A full scholarship awarded under this section shall be reduced by the amount of federal grants awarded to the child or spouse.

A full public service scholarship shall only be authorized during the period in which the eligible child or spouse is enrolled as a full-time student at a qualifying public institution of higher education. No child or spouse who is otherwise eligible shall receive a full scholarship through the program if: (i) the child or spouse has previously been awarded a degree from a public or private college, university or other institution of higher education; (ii) the child fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress during the child’s or spouse’s attendance at a qualifying public institution of higher education after receiving the scholarship; or (iii) the deceased parent or spouse was not a resident of the commonwealth at the time of entry or continuance into active and full-time military service or service as a public employee.

The board shall establish general guidelines and regulations for the application, award and administration of full scholarships at qualifying public institutions of higher education established under this section. The board shall determine the value of the scholarships.

SECTION 9B. Section 19½ of said chapter 15A is hereby repealed.”