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--- version:As IntroducedOpens in a new window+++ version:(document, no version)@@ -1,202 +1,35 @@-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 1 of 9+S.130-VT LEG #381809 v.1-S.130 1-Introduced by Senators Ram Hinsdale and Weeks 2-Referred to Committee on 3-Date: 4-Subject: Education; grants, scholarships, education loan programs; National 5-Guard Tuition Benefit Program 6-Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to extend the 7-Vermont National Guard Tuition Benefit Program to a member seeking a 8-graduate degree or a second baccalaureate degree, provided the member 9-satisfies eligibility criteria. 10-An act relating to expanding the National Guard Tuition Benefit Program 11-It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12-Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 2857 is amended to read: 13-§ 2857. VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD TUITION BENEFIT PROGRAM 14-(a) Program creation. The Vermont National Guard Tuition Benefit 15-Program (Program) is created, under which a member of the Vermont National 16-Guard (member) who meets the eligibility requirements in subsection (c) of 17-this section is entitled to the following tuition benefit for up to full-time 18-attendance: 19-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 2 of 9+An act relating to expanding the National Guard Tuition Benefit Program-VT LEG #381809 v.1-(1) For courses at any Vermont State College institution or the 1-University of Vermont and State Agricultural College (UVM), the benefit shall 2-be the in-state residence tuition rate for the relevant institution. 3-(2) For courses at any eligible Vermont private postsecondary 4-institution, the benefit shall be the in-state tuition rate charged by UVM. 5-(3) For courses at an eligible training institution offering nondegree, 6-certificate training, or continuing education programs, the benefit shall be the 7-lower of the institution’s standard tuition or the in-state tuition rate charged by 8-UVM. 9-(4) For courses at a non-Vermont approved postsecondary education 10-institution approved for federal Title IV funding where the degree program is 11-not available in Vermont, the benefit shall be the in-state tuition rate charged 12-by UVM. 13-(b) Tuition benefit. 14-(1) The tuition benefit provided under the Program shall be paid on 15-behalf of the member by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation 16-(VSAC), subject to the appropriation of funds by the General Assembly 17-specifically for this purpose. An eligible Vermont postsecondary institution 18-that accepts or receives the tuition benefit on behalf of a member shall charge 19-the member the tuition rate for an in-state student. The amount of tuition for a 20-member who attends an educational institution under the Program on less than 21-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 3 of 9+Sponsors:-VT LEG #381809 v.1-a full-time basis shall be reduced to reflect the member’s course load in a 1-manner determined by VSAC under subdivision (f)(1) of this section. 2-(2) The tuition benefit shall be conditioned upon the member’s 3-executing a promissory note obligating the member to repay the member’s 4-tuition benefit, in whole or in part, if the member fails to complete the period 5-of Vermont National Guard service required in subsection (d) of this section, 6-or if the member’s benefit is terminated pursuant to subdivision (e)(1) of this 7-section. If the member is pursuing a graduate degree under the Program, the 8-member shall agree in the promissory note to, upon receipt of the graduate 9-degree and until the individual’s service commitment under subsection (d) of 10-this section is satisfied, be employed full time in Vermont or, if unemployed, 11-be actively seeking full-time employment in Vermont. 12-(c) Eligibility. 13-(1) To be eligible for the Program, an individual, whether a resident or 14-nonresident, shall satisfy all of the following requirements: 15-(A) be an active member of the Vermont National Guard; 16-(B) have successfully completed basic training; 17-(C) be enrolled at UVM, a Vermont State College, or any other 18-college or university located in Vermont in a program that leads to an 19-undergraduate certificate or, a baccalaureate degree, or a graduate degree, or at 20-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 4 of 9+Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Sen. David Weeks,-VT LEG #381809 v.1-an eligible training institution in a program that leads to a certificate or other 1-credential recognized by VSAC; 2-(D) have not previously earned an undergraduate bachelor’s degree 3-that was funded under the Program or any other State funding source 4-designated exclusively for members of the Vermont National Guard; 5-(E) continually demonstrate satisfactory academic progress as 6-determined by criteria established by the Vermont National Guard and VSAC, 7-in consultation with the educational institution at which the individual is 8-enrolled under the Program; 9-(F) have used available post-September 11, 2001 tuition benefits and 10-other federally funded military tuition assistance; provided, however, that this 11-subdivision shall not apply to: 12-(i) tuition benefits and other federally funded military tuition 13-assistance for which the individual has not yet earned the full amount of the 14-benefit or tuition; 15-(ii) Montgomery GI Bill benefits; 16-(iii) post-September 11, 2001 educational program housing 17-allowances; 18-(iv) federal educational entitlements; 19-(v) National Guard scholarship grants; 20-(vi) loans under section 2856 of this title; and 21-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 5 of 9+Location: Senate Committee on Education-VT LEG #381809 v.1-(vii) other nontuition benefits; and 1-(G) have submitted a statement of good standing to VSAC signed by 2-the individual’s commanding officer within 30 days prior to the beginning of 3-each semester. 4-(2) An individual may receive more than one undergraduate certificate 5-or other credential recognized by VSAC under the Program, provided that the 6-cost of all certificates and credentials received by the individual under the 7-Program does not exceed the full-time in-state tuition rate charged by UVM for 8-completion of an undergraduate baccalaureate degree. 9-(3) Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(1)(D) of this section, an individual 10-may pursue a graduate degree under the Program even if the individual has 11-received an undergraduate baccalaureate degree under the Program. 12-(d) Service commitment. 13-(1) For each full academic year of attendance under the Program, a 14-member shall be required to serve two years in the Vermont National Guard in 15-order to receive the full tuition benefit under the Program. 16-(2) If a member’s service with the Vermont National Guard terminates 17-before the member fulfills this two-year service commitment, other than for 18-good cause as determined by the Vermont National Guard, the individual shall 19-reimburse VSAC a pro rata portion of the tuition paid under the Program 20-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 6 of 9+Last Recorded Action: 3/21/2025 - Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Education-VT LEG #381809 v.1-pursuant to the terms of an interest-free reimbursement promissory note signed 1-by the individual at the time of entering the Program. 2-(3) For members participating in the Program on a less than full-time 3-basis, the member’s service commitment shall be at the rate of one month of 4-Vermont National Guard service commitment for each credit hour, not to 5-exceed 12 months of service commitment for a single semester. 6-(e) Termination of tuition benefit. 7-(1) The Office of the Vermont Adjutant and Inspector General may 8-terminate the tuition benefit provided an individual under the Program if: 9-(A) the individual’s commanding officer revokes the statement of 10-good standing submitted pursuant to subdivision (c)(7) of this section as a 11-result of an investigation or disciplinary action that occurred after the statement 12-of good standing was issued; 13-(B) the individual is dismissed from the educational institution in 14-which the individual is enrolled under the Program for academic or 15-disciplinary reasons; or 16-(C) the individual withdraws without good cause from the 17-educational institution in which the individual is enrolled under the Program; 18-or 19-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 7 of 9+Committee Activity - Meeting Full List-VT LEG #381809 v.1-(D) the individual has earned a graduate degree under the Program 1-and fails to satisfy the work requirement contained in subdivision (b)(2) of this 2-section. 3-(2) If an individual’s tuition benefit is terminated pursuant to 4-subdivision (1) of this subsection, the individual shall reimburse VSAC for the 5-tuition paid under the Program, pursuant to the terms of an interest-free 6-reimbursement promissory note signed by the individual at the time of entering 7-the Program; shall be responsible on a pro rata basis for the remaining tuition 8-cost for the current semester or any courses in which the individual is currently 9-enrolled; and shall be ineligible to receive future tuition benefits under the 10-Program. 11-(3) If an individual is dismissed for academic or disciplinary reasons 12-from any postsecondary educational institution before receiving tuition 13-benefits under the Program, the Office of the Adjutant and Inspector General 14-may make a determination regarding the individual’s eligibility to receive 15-tuition benefits under the Program. 16-(f) Adoption of policies, procedures, and guidelines. 17-(1) VSAC, in consultation with the Office of the Adjutant and Inspector 18-General, shall adopt policies, procedures, and guidelines necessary to 19-implement the provisions of this section, which shall include eligibility, 20-application, and acceptance requirements,; proration of service requirements 21-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 8 of 9+Regular Session 2025-2026-VT LEG #381809 v.1-for academic semesters or attendance periods shorter than one year,; data 1-sharing guidelines,; and the criteria for determining “good cause” as used in 2-subdivisions (d)(2) and (e)(1)(C) of this section. 3-(2) Each educational institution participating in the Program shall adopt 4-policies and procedures for the enrollment of members under the Program. 5-These policies and procedures shall be consistent with the policies, procedures, 6-and guidelines adopted by VSAC under subdivision (1) of this subsection. 7-(g) Reports. 8-(1) On or before November 1 of each year, the President, Chancellor, or 9-equivalent position of each educational institution that participated in the 10-Program during the immediately preceding school year shall report to the 11-Vermont National Guard and VSAC regarding the number of members 12-enrolled at its institution during that school year who received tuition benefits 13-under the Program and, to the extent available, the courses or program in 14-which the members were enrolled. 15-(2) On or before January 15 of each year, the Vermont National Guard 16-and VSAC shall report these data and other relevant performance factors, 17-including information pertaining to the achievement of the goals of this 18-entitlement program and the costs of the Program to date, to the Governor, the 19-House and Senate Committees on Education, and the House Committees on 20-Appropriations and on General, Housing, and Military Affairs. The provisions 21-BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130-2025 Page 9 of 9+Wednesday, April 2, 2025-VT LEG #381809 v.1-of 2 V.S.A. § 20(d), expiration of reports, shall not apply to the reports to be 1-made under this subsection. 2-Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 3-This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 4+ Committee(s):++ Senate Committee on Education,++ 2:10 PM++S.130 - An act relating to expanding the National Guard Tuition Benefit Program++Introduction and walk-through++ Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Sponsor++ Sen. David Weeks, Sponsor++ Beth St. James, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel++ Hank Harder, Deputy Adjutant General, Office of the Adjutant General
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