HF 4976

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/20/2024 12:27pm

A bill for an act
relating to veterans; establishing a tuition-free postsecondary educational program
for veterans who have received a Purple Heart and the veterans' dependents;
appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
197.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [197.7915] TUITION-FREE PROGRAM FOR PURPLE HEART
VETERANS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of veterans affairs, unless otherwise
specified.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Cost of attendance" means the actual tuition and fees for an undergraduate student
or a graduate student at an eligible institution.
new text end

new text begin (d) "Eligible institution" means a Minnesota public postsecondary institution.
new text end

new text begin (e) "Program" means the tuition-free program for Purple Heart veterans established in
this section.
new text end

new text begin (f) "Child" means a person who is the biological or adopted child of a veteran who
received a Purple Heart.
new text end

new text begin (g) "Veteran" has the meaning given in section 197.447.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Program established. new text end

new text begin (a) The tuition-free program for Purple Heart veterans
is established to provide postsecondary educational assistance to eligible Minnesota veterans
and the veterans' children.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner, in cooperation with eligible postsecondary educational institutions,
shall administer the program for the purpose of providing postsecondary educational
assistance to eligible persons in accordance with this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Duties; responsibilities. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner shall establish policies and
procedures, including but not limited to procedures for student application record keeping,
information sharing, payment of educational assistance benefits under subdivision 5, and
other procedures that the commissioner considers appropriate and necessary for effective
and efficient administration of the program.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner may delegate part or all of the administrative procedures for the
program to responsible representatives of participating eligible institutions. The commissioner
may execute an interagency agreement with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education for
services that the commissioner determines necessary to administer the program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Eligibility. new text end

new text begin (a) A person is eligible for educational assistance under subdivision
5 if:
new text end

new text begin (1) the person is:
new text end

new text begin (i) a veteran who received a Purple Heart; or
new text end

new text begin (ii) the adopted or biological child of a veteran who received a Purple Heart;
new text end

new text begin (2) the person receiving educational assistance is a resident student, as defined in section
136A.101, subdivision 8; and
new text end

new text begin (3) the person receiving the educational assistance:
new text end

new text begin (i) is an undergraduate or graduate student at an eligible institution;
new text end

new text begin (ii) is maintaining satisfactory academic progress as defined by the institution for students
participating in federal Title IV programs;
new text end

new text begin (iii) is enrolled in an education program leading to a certificate, diploma, or degree at
an eligible institution;
new text end

new text begin (iv) has applied for educational assistance under this section prior to the end of the
academic term for which the assistance is being requested;
new text end

new text begin (v) is in compliance with child support payment requirements under section 136A.121,
subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clause (5); and
new text end

new text begin (vi) has completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
new text end

new text begin (b) A child's eligibility for educational assistance under subdivision 5 terminates at 30
years of age.
new text end

new text begin (c) To determine a person's eligibility for educational assistance under subdivision 5,
the commissioner may require official documentation, including the person's federal form
DD-214 or other official military discharge papers, federal form DA4980-10, correspondence
from the United States Veterans Administration, birth certificate, marriage certificate, proof
of enrollment at an eligible institution, signed affidavits, proof of residency, proof of identity,
or any other official documentation that the commissioner considers necessary to determine
the person's eligibility.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner may deny the eligibility or terminate the benefits under this section
for any person who has not provided sufficient documentation to determine eligibility for
the program. An applicant may appeal the commissioner's eligibility determination or
termination of benefits in writing to the commissioner at any time. The commissioner must
rule on any application or appeal within 30 days of the receipt of all documentation that the
commissioner requires. The decision of the commissioner regarding an appeal is final.
However, an applicant whose appeal of an eligibility determination has been rejected by
the commissioner may submit an additional appeal of that determination in writing to the
commissioner at any time that the applicant is able to provide substantively significant
additional information regarding the applicant's eligibility for the program. An approval of
an applicant's eligibility by the commissioner following an appeal by the applicant is not
retroactively effective for more than one year or the semester of the person's original
application, whichever is later.
new text end

new text begin (e) Upon receiving an application with insufficient documentation to determine eligibility,
the commissioner must notify the applicant within 30 days of the receipt of the application
that the application is being suspended pending the receipt by the commissioner of sufficient
documentation from the applicant to determine eligibility.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Educational assistance. new text end

new text begin (a) On approval by the commissioner of eligibility
for the program, the applicant must be awarded, on a funds-available basis, educational
assistance under the program for use at any eligible institution. Educational assistance for
a veteran is 100 percent of the amount under paragraph (b) and educational assistance for
a child is 50 percent of the amount under paragraph (b).
new text end

new text begin (b) The amount of educational assistance in any semester or term must be determined
by subtracting from the eligible person's cost of attendance the amount that the person
received or was eligible to receive in that semester or term from:
new text end

new text begin (1) the federal Pell Grant;
new text end

new text begin (2) the state grant program under section 136A.121; and
new text end

new text begin (3) any federal military or veterans educational benefits, including but not limited to the
Montgomery GI Bill, GI Bill Kicker, the federal tuition assistance program, vocational
rehabilitation benefits, and any other federal benefits associated with the person's status as
a veteran, except veterans disability payments from the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs.
new text end

new text begin (c) The maximum lifetime credits for which a person is eligible is 120 credits.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2024 and $....... in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the general
fund to the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes
of section 1.
new text end