Veterans’ children and spouses would receive tuition assistance

The commissioner must provide eligible children and spouses with a $750 yearly stipend and tuition and fee-free admission at eligible Minnesota public postsecondary schools. Eligible children and spouses must attend an eligible institution, make satisfactory academic progress, qualify as resident students, and apply by the end of the academic term. The stipend is available only while money is available and is not available to a person who has earned a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. Eligible institutions include Minnesota public schools and tribally controlled colleges, along with other licensed or registered postsecondary institutions for purposes stated in the program. A child or spouse who qualifies through a parent’s or spouse’s prisoner-of-war or missing-in-action status remains eligible even if that person returns or is later reported dead. Assistance is provided for the academic term covered by the application, after the commissioner approves eligibility.

A person seeking assistance must submit an application and proof of military service, plus other required eligibility evidence. Applicants for educational assistance must provide residency proof when applicable and proof of a service-connected disability or that the veteran died because of military service. The required death or disability determination must come from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or United States Department of Defense. After satisfactory proof is submitted, benefits must be provided from the application date, and approval notices must go to both the applicant and the educational institution. Benefits begin from the date the application is submitted, once eligibility is approved.

Participating institutions must report program activity, student outcomes, and costs each year, while public and accredited private schools must post veterans’ education information online. Reports cover students served, enrollment and graduation data, and tuition or tuition-waiver costs; the funding provision covers benefits under the listed veterans’ education programs. Annual reports are due to the commissioner by September 30. The general fund provides money for the listed benefits, but payments are limited to $6 million in each fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012. The text also includes repeal of a separate educational assistance section for prisoner-of-war and missing-in-action dependents. Reports are due each September 30, and the funding limit applies in each fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2012.