Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 37-B MRSA §505, sub-§2, ¶F, as amended by PL 2007, c. 167, §8, is further amended to read:
F. A child of a veteran who is attending state-supported postsecondary vocational schools or institutions of collegiate grade must be admitted free of tuition including mandatory fees and lab fees for associate's and bachelor's programs. The tuition waiver provided under this paragraph may be reduced by an amount necessary to ensure that the value of this waiver, combined with all other grants and benefits received by the student, does not exceed the total cost of education. Room and board may not be waived. A child of a veteran has 6 academic years from the date of first entrance to complete 8 semesters may receive a tuition waiver of up to 120 credit hours. The director may waive the limit of 6 consecutive academic years when the recipient's education has been interrupted by severe medical disability or illness making continued attendance impossible. Students must maintain at least a 2.0 or "C" grade point average to continue receiving educational benefits. If a student's grade point average falls below 2.0 or a "C," then the student has one semester to bring the grade point average up to at least 2.0 or a "C." If after that semester the student's grade point average is below 2.0 or a "C," the student loses educational benefits under this paragraph until the student achieves a grade point average of at least 2.0 or a "C."
Sec. 2. Waiver; baseline established; report. By October 15, 2013, each postsecondary educational institution of collegiate grade and vocational school that provides tuition waivers to children of veterans in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 37-B, section 505, subsection 2, paragraph F shall provide the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management a list of students enrolled with that institution or school as of September 30, 2013 who have received the waiver and the total number of credit hours provided subject to the waivers. The bureau shall establish a baseline of credit hours taken for students receiving tuition waivers using the information provided in accordance with this section.
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
Veterans Services 0110
Initiative: Provides funding for one Office Associate II position to administer the educational benefits program.
| GENERAL FUND |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
|
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
|
1.000 |
1.000 |
|
Personal Services
|
$60,000 |
$61,800 |
|
 |
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL |
$60,000 |
$61,800 |
’
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, strikes any academic year limit by which a student of a veteran receiving a tuition waiver must complete 120 credit hours. The amendment also requires state-supported postsecondary educational institutions and vocational schools to provide the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services with a list of students receiving tuition waivers and the total number of credit hours provided subject to the waivers.
This amendment adds an appropriations and allocations section to the bill.