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AN ACT relating to benefits for Kentucky National Guard members. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 164.5161 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) As used in this section: 4
(a) "Education[Educational] institution" means an in -state public or private 5
postsecondary education[educational] institution; and 6
(b) "Spouse" means an individual who is married to a member of the Kentucky 7
National Guard and verified in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility 8
Reporting System database. 9
(2) (a) The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky establishes the 10
National Guard Tuition Scholarship[Award] Program to provide members of 11
the Kentucky National Guard and their spouses the opportunity to attend an 12
in-state education[educational] institution. 13
(b) The amount of the scholarship awarded [tuition paid] shall be up to or equal 14
to the in -state full or part -time tuition rate and mandatory student fees [rate] 15
of the education institution the member or his or her spouse attends. 16
(c) The amount of the scholarship awarded[except that tuition paid] in support 17
of a member or his or her spouse attending a private postsecondary 18
educational institution shall be up to or equal to the average in -state full or 19
part-time tuition rate and fees of a public univers ity or community college. 20
Until the appropriation for the tuition scholarship[assistance] program of the 21
Department of Military Affairs is first fully funded by the General Assembly, 22
a scholarship[tuition for a member] to attend a private institution under this 23
section shall not be awarded[paid]. 24
(d) The tuition scholarship[award] program shall be established in the Kentucky 25
Higher Education Assistance Authority, and moneys shall be available for all 26
education institution programs that lead to a postseconda ry credential, 27
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certificate, license, or degree, including graduate and postgraduate degree 1
programs, offered by the institutions set out in this subsection. 2
(3) (a) Each member of the Kentucky National Guard and the member's spouse 3
shall collectively be en titled to a scholarship award for not more than one 4
hundred thirty (130) hours of tuition under the tuition scholarship program. 5
(b) The total number of credit hours available for the member and the 6
member's spouse may be transferred between the member and his or her 7
spouse and used concurrently until depleted. 8
(c) A member of the Kentucky National Guard or the member's spouse shall 9
not use the National Guard Scholarship Program concurrently with the 10
Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program established in KRS 164.787. 11
(4) (a) The adjutant general may grant a current member of the Kentucky National 12
Guard up to forty -five (45) paid credit hours in addition to the scholarship 13
described in subsection (3) of this section at any postsecondary institution 14
for an area of study that will have material benefits to the operations of the 15
National Guard. 16
(b) The additional hours awarded under this subsection shall not be 17
transferable. 18
(5) The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority pursuant to KRS Chapter 19
13A, shall promulgate administrative regulations necessary to the financial 20
management of the tuition scholarship[award] program. 21
(6)[(4)] The Department of Military Affairs [, pursuant to KRS Chapter 13A] , shall 22
promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A 23
concerning: 24
(a) The eligibility of members and their spouses to participate in the tuition 25
scholarship[award] program established in this section; and 26
(b) The areas of study e ligible for the award of additional hours under 27
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subsection (4) of this section. 1
Section 2. KRS 164.5165 is amended to read as follows: 2
Any active member of the Kentucky National Guard who is not a Kentucky resident shall 3
qualify for the tuition scholarship program[award] benefits provided by KRS 164.516 to 4
164.5169 subject to the following conditions: 5
(1) The member enrolls in an education[educational] institution within this state; and 6
(2) The tuition scholarship program [award] benefits provided to the out -of-state 7
member shall not exceed an amount equivalent to the in -state tuition amount the 8
member would have received if the member were a Kentucky resident. 9
Section 3. KRS 164.5169 is amended to read as follows: 10
Upon certification by the Department of Military Affairs that the member is eligible, the 11
Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority shall, to the extent that funds have been 12
appropriated and are available to the National Gu ard Tuition Scholarship[Award] 13
Program, pay to the education[educational] institution an amount up to or equal to the in-14
state tuition costs of full-time or part-time study. 15