Introduced By: Senators Coderre, Bates, DaPonte, Goodwin and Damiani
Date Introduced : February 9, 1999
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 {ADD enlisted ADD} member
in good standing of the Rhode Island National Guard, {ADD who is
in their first or second term of enlistment, ADD} who is a Rhode
Island resident, and who is enrolled in or otherwise eligible
to attend, at any state college or university in Rhode Island
may be eligible for a tuition assistance educational benefit amounting
up to one hundred percent (100%) of each semester's basic tuition
or general fee charges for credit courses {DEL , under such
provisions as the adjutant general and the commissioner of higher
education may jointly determine. DEL} {ADD taken, which are
intended to lead to a degree. The percentage of tuition assistance
shall be determined through the establishment of an educational
screening committee administered by the Rhode Island National
Guard. The committee will consist of one (1) education officer;
one (1) former education officer; one (1) policy advisor and one
(1) representative from each major command, both army and air. ADD}
Assistance for tuition and general fee shall be available only
to the extent that funds are available {DEL in the restricted
receipt account funded pursuant to section 31-3-62. Admission
in particular courses will be granted upon a space available basis,
and shall be at the discretion of the particular institutions
to which application is made aforesaid. DEL} {ADD in an account
to be established for funding an educational benefits program
for Rhode Island National Guard members, the account to be administered
by the office of the adjutant general. The total amount of funds
in the account shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)
in any fiscal year. ADD}
{ADD Rhode Island National Guard members may be eligible for one or more of the following: ADD}
{ADD (1) a tuition assistance educational benefit consisting of a payment of tuition for all classes required to be taken to earn an associate, baccalaureate, or masters degree at any state college or university; (2) a waiver of tuition for all classes conducted at Rhode Island National Guard facilities by any state college or state university professor or faculty; (3) a waiver of tuition for all classes conducted while using distance learning technology, when conducted at Rhode Island National Guard armories or classrooms or operated by any state college or state university when facilitated by state college or state university professor or faculty. When using Rhode Island National Guard facilities, faculty fees shall be paid utilizing the educational benefits account. ADD}
In order to be eligible for {DEL subsequent DEL} tuition
waivers a person must remain a member in good standing in the
Rhode Island National Guard and a student in good standing at
{DEL a DEL} {ADD any ADD} state college or university {DEL since
the award of the initial tuition waiver DEL}. {ADD A member
in good standing is defined as any soldier or airman 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. ADD}
{DEL Entitlement to tuition assistance is predicated upon satisfactory
attendance at unit training assemblies and annual training periods.
Further, tuition assistance will only be granted pursuant to a
written contractual commitment by the member providing for a one
(1) year period of obligated service in the Rhode Island National
Guard for each four (4) courses for which the soldier is granted
tuition assistance. DEL} {ADD Those guard members wishing to
participate in this program must enter into a contractual enlistment
commitment which provides for one (1) 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 airmens' tuition will be waived. ADD} Such assistance shall
be available for courses creditable to associate, bachelor's or
master's degrees. Failure to satisfactorily fulfill the service
obligation incurred {DEL due to DEL} {ADD in return for ADD}
tuition assistance {DEL shall DEL} {ADD will ADD} require
{DEL repayment of a DEL} {ADD the participant to repay a ADD}
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. {ADD 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. ADD}
{DEL The restricted receipt account shall be used by the adjutant
general for the cost of each semester's basis tuition or general
fee for each member of the national guard enrolled under this
section. DEL}
{DEL For the purpose of the section, an active member of the
Rhode Island army and air National Guard shall be defined as any
person certified by the adjutant general as currently serving
under honorable conditions in either the Rhode Island army or
air National Guard. DEL}
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
