ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
House Bill 4762
Sponsor: Rep. Randy Richardville
Committee: Appropriations
Complete to 6-10-99
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4762 AS INTRODUCED 6-8-99
House Bill 4762 would create the Michigan National Guard Education Incentive Program, establish the Michigan National Guard Tuition Waiver Fund, and require the legislature to appropriate $2,000,000 to the fund for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999.
National Guard Education Incentive Program. House Bill 4762 would create the Michigan National Guard Education Incentive Program in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The adjutant general would administer the program. Under the program, an eligible person could apply to the adjutant general for a tuition waiver, which would be approved if there were sufficient money in the fund to cover the cost of the amount requested. (The bill would define "eligible person" to mean a member of the Michigan National Guard including the Air National Guard who is in active status. Eligible person would not include a member of the Michigan National Guard or Air National Guard who was absent without leave or who was under charges.) An eligible person applying for the tuition waiver would be required to provide a copy of an approved application while registering for the course of study at the college or university.
Under the bill, the tuition waiver would apply to any course of instruction that is included in a degree program offered by a college or university.
After a student had applied for the tuition waiver, a college or university enrolling the student either part-time or full-time would be required to waive up to $2,000 of the student's tuition for each academic year, if provided with a copy of an approved application. After waiving the tuition, the college or university would be eligible for reimbursement by the program. (The bill would define "tuition" to mean the cost of a course of study at a public or private college or university located in this state. Tuition would not include the cost of books, study materials, or other fees assessed to students by the college or university.)
If an eligible student had enrolled in a state college or university and had not applied for and received a tuition waiver, he or she could apply for reimbursement of up to $2,000 for tuition paid in any academic year. The application for reimbursement would be required to include evidence of completion of the course of study.
The bill specifies that the tuition waiver program would apply to an eligible student notwithstanding any other educational incentive or benefit received by the student. It also specifies that upon completion of a course of study, an eligible person who successfully applied for and received a tuition waiver would be required to provide evidence of attendance and completion of the course of study. If a student received a tuition waiver or reimbursement for tuition and did not complete the course of study for which the waiver was granted, he or she would be required to reimburse the fund the full amount.
Michigan National Guard Tuition Waiver Fund. The Michigan National Guard Tuition Waiver Fund would be created in the state treasury. The state treasurer could receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the fund, and would be required to direct the investment of the fund, and to credit to the fund interest and earnings from the fund. Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year would remain in the fund rather than lapse to the general fund. Under the bill, the adjutant general could expend money from the fund either a) to reimburse a college or university that has waived tuition, or b) to reimburse an eligible person for the cost of tuition paid to a college or university for a completed course of study.
Analyst: J. Hunault