Chapter
284
2005 -- S 399 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED
Enacted 07/15/05
A N A C T
RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- NATIONAL GUARD
Introduced By: Senator Maryellen Goodwin
Date
Introduced: February 10, 2005
It is enacted
by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Section 30-3-40.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 30-3 entitled
"National
Guard"
is hereby amended to read as follows:
30-3-40.3.
Educational benefits for National Guard members. -- Any person who is
an
active member in good standing of the Rhode Island National Guard, and who is
eligible to
attend
at any state college or university in Rhode Island, will be eligible for a
tuition assistance
educational
benefit amounting to three (3) five (5) courses per semester at
any Rhode Island state
college
or university. Basic tuition or general fee charges to be waived for said three
(3) five (5)
courses.
Each of the state colleges or universities shall receive an equal share of the
educational
account
funding for Rhode Island National Guard members, the account to be administered
by the
office
of the adjutant general. The exact amount for each institution shall be
determined by the
board of
governors. The total amount of funds in the account shall not exceed one
hundred
thousand
dollars ($100,000) in any fiscal year.
In order to be eligible for tuition waivers a person must remain a member in
good
standing
in the Rhode Island National Guard and a student in good standing at any state college
or
university. A member in good standing is defined as any soldier or airperson of
the Rhode
Island
National Guard who is currently satisfactorily participating in all unit
training assemblies
and
annual training periods, as so certified by the adjutant general.
Those guard members wishing to participate in this program must enter into a
contractual
enlistment commitment which provides for one year of obligated service in the
Rhode
Island
National Guard for each twelve (12) course credits or four (4) three (3) credit
courses
where
the soldiers' or airpersons' tuition will be waived. Such assistance shall be
available for
courses
creditable to associate, bachelor's, or master's degrees. Failure to
satisfactorily fulfill the
service
obligation incurred in return for tuition assistance will require the
participant to repay a
pro-rata
share of said assistance. This obligation shall be considered to be a debt owed
to the state
and may
be satisfied by offset against any state transfer payments or state income tax
refunds.
The
participating member shall reimburse the Rhode Island National Guard when any
of the
following
occur: the soldier fails to participate satisfactorily as a member of the Rhode
Island
National
Guard; the soldier withdraws from or fails to complete a course for personal
reasons; the
soldier
fails to make up an incomplete grade within time limits stipulated by the
institution or one
hundred
twenty (120) days after the completion of the class, whichever occurs first, or
the soldier
fails to
provide the adjutant general a copy of the grade report within thirty (30) days
of course
completion
and may be subject to punishment under the Rhode Island Military Code.
SECTION 2. This act shall
take effect upon passage.
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LC01412/SUB A
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