Higher education fee waivers would follow specified eligibility rules

The Board of Regents would calculate certain fee waivers after applying the student's scholarships, grants, and other aid, excluding loans. The rules cover waivers for active Nevada National Guard members and their assigned family members, certain survivors, Purple Heart veterans and their children, POW or missing-service members' families, qualifying veterans, and qualifying homeless or unaccompanied youth. Students generally would complete the federal student aid application each year, or a school alternative if they cannot use the federal application. Students generally would have to meet satisfactory academic progress as determined by their school. The graduate waiver for qualifying veterans would cover at least half of the remaining registration, laboratory, and other mandatory fees, and the veteran or another party would pay the rest. These provisions would apply beginning July 1, 2026.

The Board of Regents would grant full mandatory-fee waivers to qualifying Native American students and continue certain existing waivers for a limited period. Eligible students would include members or descendants of members of federally recognized tribes with ties to Nevada, including students who attended or attend a Nevada high school, completed a Nevada high school equivalency assessment, or descend from a Stewart Indian School attendee. The student would generally complete the federal student aid application or a school alternative each year and meet satisfactory academic progress. The waiver would cover courses and programs of any type, including dual-credit, trade, graduate, professional, summer, and between-term courses. A student who received a waiver between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2026, remained enrolled on July 1, 2026, and otherwise qualified under the earlier rules could continue using the waiver through July 1, 2030. The Native American waiver rules and continuation provision would apply beginning July 1, 2025; continuation could last until July 1, 2030.

The Board of Regents would grant a fee waiver to a qualifying homeless or unaccompanied young adult and require documentation of the person's history. The waiver would cover people age 25 or younger who enroll in the Nevada System as full-time or part-time undergraduate students and were unaccompanied and homeless, or self-supporting and at risk of homelessness, for at least six months after turning 13. The person would complete the federal student aid application or a school alternative each year and meet satisfactory academic progress. The waiver would cover the remaining registration, laboratory, and other mandatory fees after other aid is applied, excluding loans. The Board could require documents meeting federal standards to verify the person's unaccompanied and housing status. These provisions would apply beginning July 1, 2026.

The bill would repeal the requirement that the Nevada System of Higher Education analyze certain ores, minerals, soil, or water sent by state residents. The provision concerns analysis requests involving natural materials taken from within Nevada and sent to the Chancellor. The repeal would apply beginning July 1, 2025.