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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 1117
Introduced by Ibach, 44; Armendariz, 18; Lippincott, 34; Strommen, 47.
Read first time January 16, 2026
Committee: Revenue
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to postsecondary education; to amend section1
80-411, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, and sections 85-2615,2
85-2616, 85-2618, 85-2620, and 85-2621, Revised Statutes Supplement,3
2025; to change requirements for tuition waivers for dependents of4
veterans as prescribed; to provide for reimbursement for tuition5
waivers as prescribed; to change requirements, limitations, amounts,6
and reimbursement provisions for tuition waivers under the First7
Responder Recruitment and Retention Act; to harmonize provisions;8
and to repeal the original sections. 9
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,10
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Section 1. Section 80-411, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is1
amended to read: 2
80-411 (1) If the requirements of subsection (2) of this section are3
met, the University of Nebraska, the state colleges, and the community4
colleges shall waive the following for a dependent of a veteran:5
(a) All tuition; and 6
(b) All fees remaining due after subtracting awarded federal7
financial aid grants and state scholarships and grants.8
(2) A dependent of a veteran person shall be eligible for the waiver9
of tuition and such fees if the dependent he or she meets the following10
requirements: 11
(a) The dependent He or she is a resident of this state and meets12
the appropriate institution's requirements for establishing residency for13
the purpose of paying instate tuition; 14
(b) The dependent has exhausted all available benefits afforded to15
the dependent from the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance16
program offered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs17
pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 3500, et seq.; 18
(c) The dependent (b) He or she has a parent, stepparent, or spouse19
who was a member of the armed forces of the United States and who:20
(i) Died while on active duty; 21
(ii) Died of a service-connected disability; 22
(iii) Died subsequent to discharge as a result of injury or illness23
sustained while a member of the armed forces which may or may not have24
resulted in total disability; 25
(iv) Is permanently and totally disabled as a result of military26
service. Permanent and total disability does not include total ratings or27
other temporary ratings except total ratings based on individual28
unemployability if permanent; or 29
(v) While a member of the armed forces of the United States, is30
classified as missing in action or as a prisoner of war during armed31
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hostilities; and 1
(d) (c) If the dependent he or she is a child or stepchild of a2
person described in subdivision (2)(c) (2)(b) of this section, the3
dependent he or she is under the age of twenty-six years unless the4
dependent he or she serves on active duty with the armed forces after his5
or her eighteenth birthday but before his or her twenty-sixth birthday,6
in which case such period shall end five years after the dependent's his7
or her first discharge or release from such duty with the armed forces,8
but in no event shall such period be extended beyond the thirty-first9
birthday. 10
(3) An application for a waiver shall be submitted on a form to be11
prescribed by the Director of Veterans' Affairs. 12
(4) If the Director of Veterans' Affairs or the director's designee13
determines that the applicant is eligible for the waiver, the director or14
the director's designee shall so certify to the institution in which the15
applicant desires to enroll. The decision of the director or the16
director's designee shall, in the absence of fraud or misrepresentation17
on the part of the applicant, be final and shall be binding upon the18
applicant and upon the institutions specified in this section. The19
director shall adopt and promulgate reasonable rules and regulations for20
the administration of this section. 21
(5) The waiver shall be valid for one degree, diploma, or22
certificate from a community college and one baccalaureate degree.23
Receipt of such degree, diploma, or certificate from a community college24
shall precede receipt of such baccalaureate degree.25
Sec. 2. (1) Beginning July 1, 2028, subject to available26
appropriations, the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education27
shall reimburse the University of Nebraska, each state college, and each28
community college for fifty percent of the tuition waivers provided29
pursuant to section 80-411. 30
(2) The University of Nebraska, each state college, and each31
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community college shall request reimbursement by submitting documentation1
in a form and manner prescribed by the commission. 2
(3) If state appropriations are not sufficient to satisfy all of the3
claims filed during any fiscal year, then the commission shall prorate4
the reimbursements for the University of Nebraska, each state college,5
and each community college for that fiscal year such that the total for6
all reimbursements is equal to the appropriation. Any reimbursement7
claims paid on a prorated basis shall not be refiled.8
Sec. 3. Section 85-2615, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is9
amended to read: 10
85-2615 A first responder or an eligible disabled person may receive11
a tuition waiver for up to one hundred twenty credit hours or five years,12
whichever comes first, if the first responder or eligible disabled person13
he or she otherwise continues to be eligible for participation under14
sections 85-2611 to 85-2614. 15
Sec. 4. Section 85-2616, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is16
amended to read: 17
85-2616 (1) Except as provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this18
section, a qualifying child of a first responder who satisfies section19
85-2612 or of an eligible disabled person who satisfies section 85-261420
shall be entitled to a tuition waiver as provided in section 85-2620 from21
any state university, state college, or community college for an22
associate or baccalaureate degree program if the qualifying child:23
(a) Meets all admission requirements of the state university, state24
college, or community college; 25
(b) Executes an agreement in accordance with section 85-2617;26
(c) Has not previously earned a baccalaureate degree;27
(d) Completes and submits to the United States Department of28
Education a Free Application for Federal Student Aid;29
(e) Submits a document to the state university, state college, or30
community college confirming that the qualifying child has satisfied31
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subdivision (1)(d) of this section. Such document shall be submitted in a1
form and manner as prescribed by the university, college, or community2
college; 3
(f) Submits the certificate of verification required by subsection4
(2) of this section; and 5
(g) Files with the Department of Revenue documentation showing proof6
that, for each year in which the qualifying child applies for and7
receives the tuition waiver, the first responder or eligible disabled8
person through whom the qualifying child is claiming the tuition waiver:9
(i) Is employed as a first responder or is an eligible disabled10
person, as applicable; and 11
(ii) Resides in Nebraska; and . 12
(h) Maintains a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or greater on13
a four-point scale while enrolled in the state university, state college,14
or community college. 15
(2)(a) An application for the tuition waiver shall include a16
certificate of verification from: 17
(i) The first responder's superior officer attesting to such first18
responder's satisfaction of section 85-2612; or 19
(ii) The eligible disabled person's former superior officer20
attesting to such person's satisfaction of section 85-2614.21
(b) The applicant shall include the certificate of verification when22
applying to the state university, state college, or community college in23
order to obtain a tuition waiver upon initial enrollment.24
(3) The death of a first responder in the line of duty that occurs25
after submission of an application for a tuition waiver shall not26
disqualify such first responder's otherwise eligible qualifying child27
from receiving the tuition waiver. In such case: 28
(a) In lieu of submitting the certificate of verification provided29
for in subsection (2) of this section, the qualifying child shall submit30
a certificate of verification from the first responder's superior officer31
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attesting that: 1
(i) At the time of such death, such first responder satisfied2
section 85-2612; and 3
(ii) Such first responder died in the line of duty; and4
(b) In lieu of making the filing required by subdivision (1)(g) of5
this section, the qualifying child shall file with the Department of6
Revenue documentation showing proof that, at the time of such death:7
(i) Such first responder was employed as a first responder; and8
(ii) Such first responder resided in Nebraska.9
(4) For a qualifying child of a first responder who is a10
correctional officer or a youth detention officer or of an eligible11
disabled person who was a correctional officer or a youth detention12
officer, the tuition waiver shall only be available beginning July 1,13
2027, and shall only be available for attendance at a state university.14
Sec. 5. Section 85-2618, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is15
amended to read: 16
85-2618 A qualifying child may receive the tuition waiver under17
section 85-2616 for up to one hundred twenty credit hours or five years ,18
whichever comes first, if the qualifying child continues to be eligible19
for participation. The five years or one hundred twenty credit hours of20
tuition waiver eligibility starts once the qualifying child applies for21
and receives the tuition waiver for the first time and is available to22
such qualifying child for the next consecutive five years.23
Sec. 6. Section 85-2620, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is24
amended to read: 25
85-2620 A state university, state college, or community college that26
has granted a tuition waiver under the First Responder Recruitment and27
Retention Act shall waive XXX one hundred percent of resident tuition28
charges remaining due after subtracting awarded federal financial aid29
grants and state scholarships and grants for the tuition waiver recipient30
during the time the recipient is enrolled. To remain eligible, such31
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recipient must comply with all requirements of the institution for1
continued attendance and award of an associate degree or a baccalaureate2
degree. 3
Sec. 7. Section 85-2621, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is4
amended to read: 5
85-2621 (1) Beginning July 1, 2028, subject to available6
appropriations, the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education7
shall reimburse each state university , state college, and community8
college for fifty percent of the tuition waivers provided under the First9
Responder Recruitment and Retention Act for correctional officers, youth10
detention officers, eligible disabled persons that were formerly11
correctional officers and youth detention officers, and the qualifying12
children of such officers and persons granted in the preceding year by13
such state university. 14
(2) A state university shall request reimbursement by submitting15
documentation in a form and manner prescribed by the commission.16
(3) If state appropriations are not sufficient to satisfy all of the17
claims filed during any fiscal year, then the commission shall prorate18
the reimbursements for each state university, state college, and19
community college university's total reimbursement for that fiscal year20
such that the total for all reimbursements is equal to the in proportion21
to the remaining appropriation. Any reimbursement claims paid on a22
prorated basis shall not be refiled. 23
Sec. 8. Original section 80-411, Reissue Revised Statutes of24
Nebraska, and sections 85-2615, 85-2616, 85-2618, 85-2620, and 85-2621,25
Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, are repealed. 26
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