Revises provisions relating to fee waivers granted by the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada. (BDR 34-524)

A.B. 532

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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 532–COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(ON BEHALF OF THE JOINT INTERIM STANDING
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION)

MARCH 24, 2025
____________

Referred to Committee on Education

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to fee waivers granted by
the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada.
(BDR 34-524)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.

~

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to higher education; revising provisions relating to
fee waivers for certain students; providing for the
continuity of waivers previously provided to certain
students; and providing other matters properly relating
thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law prohibits the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada from 1
assessing, with certain exceptions, tuition charges against certain students, 2
including those who are bona fide residents of this State. (NRS 396.540) Existing 3
law authorizes the Board of Regents to grant a waiver of registration, laboratory 4
and other mandatory fees assessed against certain students, including a student who 5
is: (1) an act ive member of the Nevada National Guard; (2) the child, widow or 6
widower of a person killed while performing duties as a member of the Nevada 7
National Guard; (3) a veteran who has been awarded the Purple Heart or the child 8
of such a veteran; (4) the child or spouse of a person identified as a prisoner of war 9
or missing in action while performing duties as a member of the Armed Forces of 10
the United States; (5) identified as a homeless or unaccompanied pupil; and (6) a 11
member or a descendent of a member of certain Indian tribes. Existing law provides 12
that in most cases, a student to whom a waiver is granted: (1) is deemed to be a 13
bona fide resident of this State for the purpose of assessing tuition and fees; (2) 14
must maintain a cumulative grade point average o f at least 2.0 to be eligible for the 15
waiver; and (3) is limited to using the waiver for certain courses and programs. 16
(NRS 396.544, 396.5442, 396.5443, 396.5445, 396.5448, 396.5449) Sections 2-8 17
of this bill eliminate these and other similar provisions prescribing the terms and 18
limitations of certain fee waivers granted to students who meet certain eligibility 19

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criteria. Instead, section 1 of this bill establishes a consolidated waiver which 20
requires the Board of Regents to waive all registration, laboratory and other 21
mandatory fees assessed against a student enrolled full -time or part-time in certain 22
undergraduate or graduate degree programs and who meets certain eligibility 23
criteria. 24
Section 1 limits the applicability of the consolidated waiver to cert ain 25
undergraduate and graduate courses and programs of study. In order to receive a 26
waiver under section 1, an eligible student must: (1) complete the Free Application 27
for Federal Student Aid, if the student is eligible under federal law to complete the 28
application; and (2) maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average, on a 4.0 grading 29
scale, each semester, or its equivalent if a different scale is used. Section 1 requires 30
the Board of Regents to apply all scholarships, grants and other financial assistance, 31
not including loans, to which a student is entitled for a semester towards the fees 32
assessed against the student for that semester before granting a waiver to cover the 33
remaining balance of those fees. Section 1 authorizes the Board of Regents to seek 34
certain assistance to verify the eligibility of a student to receive a waiver. Section 1 35
also requires the Board of Regents to treat a student who is granted a fee waiver as 36
a bona fide resident of this State for the purpose of assessing fees and tuition 37
charges. 38
Section 1 requires the Board of Regents to publish the programs and courses 39
for which the waiver may be used before the start of each semester. Sections 2-8 40
make conforming changes to apply the terms of the waiver established by section 1 41
to all existing waivers and revise internal references. Section 9 of this bill provides 42
that a student who is currently enrolled in the System as of July 1, 2025, and who 43
has been granted a waiver under existing law for a program which is not covered by 44
section 1 is entitled to continue to use that waiver for that program until July 1, 45
2029, if the waiver granted under section 1 would not cover such program. 46

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Chapter 396 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto a new section to read as follows: 2
1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Board of 3
Regents shall grant a waiver of the payment of registration fees, 4
laboratory fees and any other mandatory fees assessed each 5
semester against a student who attends a school within the System 6
as a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student and 7
meets the criteria for a waiver established pursuant to NR S 8
396.544, 396.5442, 396.5443, 396.5445, 396.5448 or 396.5449. A 9
waiver must not be granted for a student in a trade or vocational 10
program or a professional program. 11
2. The amount of a waiver granted pursuant to subsection 1 12
must be equal to the balance of all registration fees, laboratory 13
fees and any other mandatory fees assessed against a student for a 14
semester after the application of all scholarships, grants and other 15
financial assistance, with the exception of loans, including, 16
without limitation, federal student aid, federal educational benefits 17

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and other assistance provided by the State, to which the student is 1
entitled for that semester. 2
3. For the purpose of assessing fees and charges against a 3
student to whom a waiver is granted pursuant to t his section, 4
including, without limitation, tuition charges assessed pursuant to 5
NRS 396.540, such a student shall be deemed a bona fide resident 6
of this State. 7
4. To be eligible for a waiver under this section, a student 8
must: 9
(a) For every year for which the student seeks a waiver and is 10
eligible to receive federal student aid pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 11
1091, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 12
provided for by 20 U.S.C. § 1090; and 13
(b) Maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average, on a 4.0 14
grading scale, each semester or the equivalent of a 2.0 grade point 15
average if a different scale is used. 16
5. The Board of Regents shall: 17
(a) Establish policies and procedures prescribing the manner 18
by which a student may apply for a waiver under this section. 19
(b) Publish, on the Internet website maintained by each 20
institution in the System, a list of the undergraduate and graduate 21
programs and courses at the institution that will be covered by the 22
waiver granted pursuant to this section. 23
(c) Ensure that any waiver of registration fees, laboratory fees 24
and any other mandatory fees established by the Board of Regents 25
for which the qualifications, terms and condition s are not 26
established by law is administered in a manner that is consistent 27
with the provisions of this section, such that the administration of 28
fee waivers by the Board of Regents is as uniform as possible. 29
6. The Board of Regents may: 30
(a) Determine whether grants are available to assist the System 31
in defraying the costs of granting wai vers pursuant to this section 32
and apply for and accept any such grants. 33
(b) Accept gifts, grants, bequests and donations to fund the 34
waivers granted under this section. 35
(c) Seek assistance from any state agency, board, department, 36
division, commission or officer to verify the eligibility of a student 37
to receive a waiver. 38
(d) Request documentation from a student to confirm his or 39
her eligibility for a waiver. 40
(e) Establish policies and procedures necessary to carry out 41
the provisions of this section. 42
7. As used in this section, “other mandatory fees” includes, 43
without limitation, differential program fees, special course fees, 44
student fees and technology fees. 45

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Sec. 2. NRS 396.544 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
396.544 1. The Board of Regents of the University of 2
Nevada [may] shall grant a waiver [of registration fees and 3
laboratory fees for] pursuant to section 1 of this act to any member 4
of the active Nevada National Guard, including, without limitation, 5
a recruit . [, who attends a school within the System as a full-time or 6
part-time student.] 7
2. A member of the active Nevada National Guard who has 8
reenlisted may, in lieu of using the waiver himself or herself and 9
regardless of whether the member was granted a waiver [pursuant to 10
this section] before reenlistment: 11
(a) Assign such a waiver to his or her spouse or child . [for 12
credits applicable toward the cours e work required for the award to 13
the spouse or child of an associate’s degree, baccalaureate degree or 14
certificate at any school within the System.] 15
(b) Reassign such a waiver to his or her spouse or child, as 16
applicable, if the person to whom the waiver was assigned pursuant 17
to paragraph (a) does not use the waiver . [to attend a school within 18
the System as a full-time or part-time student.] 19
 For each period of reenlistment of a member, the benefit 20
provided pursuant to this subsection may only be used by one 21
eligible person. 22
3. [For the purpose of assessing fees and charges against a 23
person to whom a waiver is granted, assigned or reassigned pursuant 24
to subsection 1 or 2, including, without limitation, tuition charges 25
pursuant to NRS 396.540, such a pe rson shall be deemed to be a 26
bona fide resident of this State. 27
4.] A person must be a member in good standing of the active 28
Nevada National Guard, including, without limitation, a recruit, at 29
the beginning of and throughout the entire semester for which the 30
waiver is granted. 31
[5. A person to whom a waiver is granted, assigned or 32
reassigned pursuant to subsection 1 or 2 must maintain at least a 2.0 33
grade point average, on a 4.0 grading scale, each semester for which 34
the waiver is granted, assigned or rea ssigned, or the equivalent of a 35
2.0 grade point average if a different grading scale is used. 36
6. The Board of Regents may request the Adjutant General to 37
verify the membership in the active Nevada National Guard of a 38
person who is seeking or has been granted a waiver of registration 39
fees and laboratory fees pursuant to subsection 1. 40
7.] 4. The Adjutant General shall: 41
(a) Upon receiving a request from the Board of Regents 42
pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 6 [,] of section 1 of this act, 43
notify the Board of Regents in writing concerning the status and 44
dates of membership of a person who is seeking or has been granted 45

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a waiver [of registration fees a nd laboratory fees ] pursuant to 1
[subsection 1.] section 1 of this act. 2
(b) Maintain a record of any waiver that has been [granted,] 3
assigned or reassigned pursuant to subsection [1 or] 2 and the person 4
to whom the waiver was assigned or reassigned. 5
[(c) Before the beginning of each semester, certify in writing to 6
the Board of Regents that a waiver has been properly assigned or 7
reassigned to the person seeking to use the waiver to attend a school 8
within the System. 9
8.] 5. If a waiver is granted purs uant to [subsection 1 for ] 10
section 1 of this act to a recruit made eligible for such a waiver by 11
this section and the recruit does not enter full -time National Guard 12
duty within 1 year after enlisting, the recruit shall reimburse the 13
Board of Regents for all [registration fees and laboratory ] fees 14
waived on behalf of the recruit if the recruit’s failure to enter full -15
time National Guard duty is attributable to his or her own conduct. 16
[9.] 6. As used in this section: 17
(a) “Full-time National Guard duty” has the meaning ascribed to 18
it in 32 U.S.C. § 101(19). 19
(b) “Recruit” means a person who has enlisted in the Nevada 20
National Guard but has not begun his or her required military duty. 21
(c) “Spouse” includes a domestic partner as set forth in 22
NRS 122A.200. 23
Sec. 3. NRS 396.5442 is hereby amended to read as follows: 24
396.5442 1. The Board of Regents [may] shall grant a waiver 25
[of registration fees and laboratory fees for] pursuant to section 1 of 26
this act to a child, widow or widower of a person who was killed 27
while performing his or her duties as a member of the Nevada 28
National Guard. [For the purpose of assessing fees and charges 29
against a person to whom such a waiver is granted, including, 30
without limitation, tuition charges pursuant to NRS 396.540, the 31
person shall be deemed to be a bona fide resident of this State.] 32
2. [A person is eligible for a waiver pursuant to subsection 1 if 33
the person maintains at least a 2.0 grade point average, on a 4.0 34
grading scale, each semester or the equivalent of a 2.0 grade point 35
average if a different scale is used. 36
3.] A child eligible under this section for a waiver pursuant to 37
section 1 of this act may use [a] the waiver granted pursuant to 38
[this] that section for 10 years after the child attains the age of 18 39
years or, if the child enrolls in the System before the age of 18 40
years, for 10 years after the date of such enrollment. A widow or 41
widower eligible under this section for a waiver pursuant to 42
section 1 of this act may use [a] the waiver granted pursuant to 43
[this] that section for 10 years after the date of the death of the 44
member. 45

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[4. The Board of R egents may request the Adjutant General to 1
verify that a person is the child, widow or widower of a person who 2
was killed while performing his or her duties as a member of the 3
Nevada National Guard. The Adjutant General shall, upon receiving 4
such a request , notify the Board of Regents in writing concerning 5
the status of that person.] 6
Sec. 4. NRS 396.5443 is hereby amended to read as follows: 7
396.5443 1. The Board of Regents shall grant a waiver [of 8
the payment of registration fees, laboratory fees and any other 9
mandatory fees assessed each semester against ] pursuant to section 10
1 of this act to a student who is: 11
(a) A veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who has 12
been awarded the Purple Heart; or 13
(b) The child of such a veteran, if: 14
(1) The veteran is a bona fide resident of this State, or was a 15
bona fide resident of this State at the time of his or her death; and 16
(2) The child of the veteran graduated from a high school 17
located in this State. 18
2. [The amount of the waiver must be equal to: 19
(a) If the student is entitled to receive any federal educational 20
benefits for a semester, t he balance of registration fees, laboratory 21
fees and any other mandatory fees assessed against the student that 22
remain unpaid after the student’s account has been credited with the 23
full amount of the federal educational benefits to which the student 24
is entitled for that semester; or 25
(b) If the student is not entitled to receive any federal 26
educational benefits for a semester, the full amount of the 27
registration fees, laboratory fees and any other mandatory fees 28
assessed against the student for that semester. 29
3. The waiver must be granted to a student who enrolls in any 30
program offered by a school within the System, including, without 31
limitation, a trade or vocational program, a graduate program or a 32
professional program. 33
4. For the purpose of assessing fees and charges agai nst a 34
student to whom a waiver is granted pursuant to this section, 35
including, without limitation, tuition charges pursuant to NRS 36
396.540, such a student shall be deemed to be a bona fide resident of 37
this State. 38
5.] The Board of Regents may grant more f avorable waivers of 39
registration fees, laboratory fees and any other mandatory fees for 40
veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States who have been 41
awarded the Purple Heart or the child of such a veteran than the 42
waiver provided pursuant to [this] section 1 of this act if required 43
for the receipt of federal money. 44

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[6.] 3. A child of a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United 1
States who has been aw arded the Purple Heart may use a waiver 2
[granted pursuant to] described in this section for 10 years after the 3
child attains 18 years of age, or, if the child enrolls in the System 4
before attaining 18 years of age, for 10 years after the date of such 5
enrollment. 6
Sec. 5. NRS 396.5445 is hereby amended to read as follows: 7
396.5445 1. The Board of Regents [may] shall grant a waiver 8
[of registration fees and laboratory fees for] pursuant to section 1 of 9
this act to a spouse or child of a person who is identified as a 10
prisoner of war or missing in action while performing his or her 11
duties as a member of the Armed Forces of the Un ited States. [For 12
the purpose of assessing fees and charges against a person to whom 13
such a waiver is granted, including, without limitation, tuition 14
charges pursuant to NRS 396.540, the person shall be deemed to be 15
a bona fide resident of this State.] 16
2. [A person is eligible for a waiver pursuant to subsection 1 if 17
the person maintains at least a 2.0 grade point average, on a 4.0 18
grading scale, each semester or the equivalent of a 2.0 grade point 19
average if a different scale is used. 20
3.] A spouse eligible under this section for a waiver pursuant 21
to section 1 of this act may use [a] the waiver granted pursuant to 22
[this] that section for 10 years after t he date on which the member 23
of the Armed Forces was identified as a prisoner of war or missing 24
in action. A child eligible under this section for a waiver pursuant 25
to section 1 of this act may use [a] the waiver granted pursuant to 26
[this] that section for 10 years after the child attains the age of 18 27
years or, if the child enrolls in the System before the age of 18 28
years, for 10 years after the date of such enrollment. 29
[4. The Board of Regents may request such documentation as it 30
deems necessary to verify that a person is the spouse or child of a 31
member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is identified 32
as a prisoner of war or missing in action while performing his or her 33
duties as a member of the Armed Forces.] 34
Sec. 6. NRS 396.5448 is hereby amended to read as follows: 35
396.5448 1. The Board of Regents [may] shall grant a waiver 36
[of registration fees and laboratory fees for] pursuant to section 1 of 37
this act to a person who is identified as a homeless or 38
unaccompanied pupil . [For the purpose of assessing fees and 39
charges against a person to whom such a waiver is granted, 40
including, without limitation, tuition charges pursuant to NRS 41
396.540, the person shall be deemed to be a bona fide resident of 42
this State.] 43
2. [A person is eligible for a waiver pursuant to su bsection 1 if 44
the person maintains at least a 2.0 grade point average, on a 4.0 45

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grading scale, each semester or the equivalent of a 2.0 grade point 1
average if a different scale is used. 2
3.] A person [may use] eligible under this section for a waiver 3
[granted] pursuant to [subsection] section 1 of this act may use the 4
waiver granted pursuant to that section for 10 years after the 5
person attains the age of 18 years or, if the person enrolls in the 6
System before the age of 18 years, for 10 years after the date of such 7
enrollment. 8
[4. The Board of Regents may request documentation from a 9
person requesting a waiver pursuant to subsection 1 as it deems 10
necessary to verify that such a person was a homeless or 11
unaccompanied pupil. 12
5.] 3. As used in this section: 13
(a) “Homeless pupil” has the meaning ascribed to the term 14
“homeless children and youths” in 42 U.S.C. § 11434a(2). 15
(b) “Unaccompanied pupil” has the meaning ascribed to the 16
term “unaccompanied youth” in 42 U.S.C. § 11434a(6). 17
Sec. 7. NRS 396.5449 is hereby amended to read as follows: 18
396.5449 1. The Board of Regents shall grant a waiver [of 19
the payment of registration fees, laboratory fees and any other 20
mandatory fees assessed each semester against ] pursuant to section 21
1 of this act to a [student] person who: 22
(a) Is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe or nation 23
or certified by the enrollment department of such a tribe or nation or 24
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as being a descendant of an enrolled 25
member of a tribe or nation, regardless of membership status; 26
(b) Is eligible for enrollment in a school within the System [, 27
including, without l imitation, enrollment in a dual credit course 28
through a program for dual credit; ] as a full -time or part -time 29
undergraduate or graduate student; and 30
(c) Is: 31
(1) A bona fide resident of this State, as defined in 32
NRS 396.540; 33
(2) A member or descendan t of an enrolled member of an 34
Indian tribe or nation, all or part of which is located within the 35
boundaries of this State; or 36
(3) Currently a resident on qualified tribal land, whether his 37
or her actual residence was located within or outside of the 38
boundaries of this State, and has been such a resident for not less 39
than 1 year . [; 40
(d) Has maintained at least a 2.0 grade point average, on a 4.0 41
scale, each semester or the equivalent of a 2.0 grade point average if 42
a different scale is used; and 43
(e) Has completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 44
provided for by 20 U.S.C. § 1090 unless the student is or will be 45

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enrolled exclusively in one or more dual credit courses through a 1
program for dual credit.] 2
2. [The amount of the waiver must be equ al to the full amount 3
of the registration fees, laboratory fees and any other mandatory fees 4
assessed against the student for that semester. 5
3. The waiver must be granted to a student who enrolls in any 6
course or program, whether for a degree or not, off ered by a school 7
within the System, including, without limitation, a trade or 8
vocational program, a graduate program, a professional program or 9
a dual credit course through a program for dual credit, offered 10
during any academic period, including courses of fered during the 11
summer and between terms or semesters. 12
4. For the purpose of assessing fees and charges against a 13
person to whom such a waiver is granted, the person shall be 14
deemed to be a bona fide resident of this State. 15
5. The Board of Regents may request documentation 16
confirming that the student is a member or descendant of a member 17
of a federally recognized Indian tribe or nation. 18
6.] As used in this section [: 19
(a) “Program for dual credit” means a program through which a 20
pupil enrolled in hig h school, including, without limitation, a pupil 21
enrolled in grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 in a charter school or a pupil 22
enrolled in a program designed to meet the requirements of an adult 23
standard diploma, may enroll in a dual credit course offered by a 24
school within the System. 25
(b) “Qualified] , “qualified tribal land” means any real property: 26
[(1)] (a) For which legal title is vested in, or held in trust for 27
the benefit of, an Indian tribe or an individual Native American, and 28
which is subject to restrictions against alienation pursuant to federal 29
law; and 30
[(2)] (b) Over which a federally recognized Indian tribe or 31
nation, all or part of which is located within the boundaries of this 32
State, exercises governmental power. 33
Sec. 8. NRS 396.54495 is hereby amended to read as follows: 34
396.54495 The Board of Regents shall, on or before 35
September 1 of each calendar year, prepare and submit a report to 36
the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau fo r transmittal to the 37
Nevada Legislature that includes, without limitation, aggregated 38
data for: 39
1. The number of students that qualify for a waiver of 40
[registration fees, laboratory fees and any other mandatory ] fees 41
under section 1 of this act pursuant to NRS 396.5449. 42
2. The total funding made available for the waiver of 43
registration fees, laboratory fees and any other mandatory fees for 44
students who qualify for such a waiver pursuant to NRS 396.5449, 45

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including, without limitation, gifts, grants, donations and federal 1
contributions. 2
Sec. 9. 1. If, during the period beginning on July 1, 2024 , 3
and ending on July 1, 2025, the Board of Regents of the University 4
of Nevada granted a waiver of fees pursuant to NRS 396.544, 5
396.5442, 396.5443, 396.5445, 396.5448 or 396.5449 to a student 6
who, as of July 1, 2025, is enrolled in a program or course of study 7
for which the waiver was applied, the Board of Regents shall grant a 8
waiver of the payment of those registration fees, laboratory fees and 9
any other mandatory fees that: 10
(a) Are assessed each semester against the student for that 11
program or course of study if t he program or course of study is not 12
covered by a waiver provided pursuant to section 1 of this act; and 13
(b) Would otherwise be waived by the Board of Regen ts 14
pursuant to NRS 396.544, 396.5442, 396.5443, 396.5445, 396.5448 15
or 396.5449, as those sections existed on July 1, 2024. 16
2. The waiver provided pursuant to this section must be 17
administered in the same manner and with the same conditions as 18
the waiver that the student had previously been granted under NRS 19
396.544, 396.5442, 396.5443, 396.5445, 396.5448 or 396.5449, as 20
those sections existed on July 1, 2024, as applicable. 21
3. A person may use a waiver granted pursuant to this section 22
until July 1, 2029. 23
4. The Board of Regents may establish policies and procedures 24
to carry out the provisions of this section. 25
Sec. 10. The provisions of subsection 1 of NRS 218D.380 do 26
not apply to any provision of this act which adds or revises a 27
requirement to submit a report to the Legislature. 28
Sec. 11. 1. This section becomes effective upon passage and 29
approval. 30
2. Sections 1 to 10, inclusive, of this act become effective: 31
(a) Upon passage and approval for the purpose of adopting any 32
regulations and per forming any other preparatory administrative 33
tasks that are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and 34
(b) On July 1, 2025, for all other purposes. 35

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