HF 2507

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/27/2012 01:06pm

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; authorizing a safety officer survivor education
benefit for graduate study; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 299A.45,
subdivisions 1, 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 299A.45, subdivision 1, is amended to
read:

Subdivision 1.

Eligibility.

A person is eligible to receive educational benefits under
this section if the person:

(1) is certified under section 299A.44 and in compliance with this section and rules
of the commissioner of public safety and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education;

(2) is enrolled in an undergraduate new text begin or graduate new text end degree or certificate program after
June 30, 1990, at an eligible Minnesota institution as provided in section 136A.101,
subdivision 4;

(3) has not received deleted text begin a baccalaureate degree or been enrolled full time for nine
semesters or the equivalent, except that a student who withdraws from enrollment for
active military service is entitled to an additional semester or the equivalent of eligibility deleted text end new text begin
benefits for the maximum duration specified in subdivision 4 new text end ; and

(4) is related in one of the following ways to a public safety officer killed in the
line of duty on or after January 1, 1973:

(i) as a dependent child less than 23 years of age;

(ii) as a surviving spouse; or

(iii) as a dependent child less than 30 years of age who has served on active military
duty 181 consecutive days or more and has been honorably discharged or released to the
dependent child's reserve or National Guard unit.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 299A.45, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Award amount.

(a) The amount of the award is the lesser of:

(1) the average tuition and fees charged by the institution; or

(2) the tuition maximums established by law for the state grant program under
section 136A.121. new text begin The tuition maximum for graduate study is the maximum established
by law for the state grant program for four-year programs.
new text end

(b) An award under this subdivision must not affect a recipient's eligibility for a
state grant under section 136A.121.

(c) For the purposes of this subdivision, "fees" include only those fees that are
mandatory and charged to all students attending the institution.

new text begin (d) For the purpose of benefits awarded under this section, full time for a graduate
program is eight or more credits per term or the equivalent.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

new text begin Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2012.
new text end