Connecticut 2021 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05544 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 04/07/2021

                     
 
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General Assembly  Committee Bill No.  5544  
January Session, 2021  
LCO No. 3785 
 
 
Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND 
EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT 
 
 
Introduced by:  
(HED)  
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING FE E WAIVERS FOR VETERA NS ATTENDING 
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Section 10a-77 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2 
(a) Subject to the provisions of section 10a-26, the Board of [Trustees 3 
of the Community-Technical Colleges] Regents for Higher Education 4 
shall fix fees for tuition at the regional community-technical colleges and 5 
shall fix fees for such other purposes as the board deems necessary at 6 
the regional community-technical colleges, and may make refunds to 7 
the same. 8 
(b) The Board of [Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges] 9 
Regents for Higher Education shall establish and administer a fund to 10 
be known as the Regional Community-Technical Colleges Operating 11 
Fund. Appropriations from general revenues of the state and, upon 12 
request by the board and with an annual review and approval by the 13  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the amount of the 14 
appropriations for fringe benefits and workers' compensation 15 
applicable to the community-technical colleges pursuant to subsection 16 
(a) of section 4-73, shall be transferred from the Comptroller, and all 17 
tuition revenue received by the regional community-technical colleges 18 
in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall 19 
be deposited in said fund. Income from student fees or related charges; 20 
the proceeds of auxiliary activities and business enterprises, gifts and 21 
donations; federal funds and grants for purposes other than research, 22 
and all receipts derived from the conduct by the colleges of their 23 
education extension programs and summer school sessions shall be 24 
credited to said fund but shall be allocated to the central office and 25 
institutional operating accounts which shall be established and 26 
maintained for the central office and each community-technical college. 27 
If the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management disapproves 28 
such transfer, the secretary may require the amount of the appropriation 29 
for operating expenses to be used for personal services and fringe 30 
benefits to be excluded from said fund. The State Treasurer shall review 31 
and approve the transfer prior to such request by [the] said board. [of 32 
trustees.] The board shall establish an equitable policy for allocation of 33 
appropriations from general revenues of the state, fringe benefits 34 
transferred from the Comptroller and tuition revenue deposited in the 35 
Regional Community-Technical Colleges Operating Fund. At the 36 
beginning of each quarter of the fiscal year, the board shall allocate and 37 
transfer, in accordance with said policy, moneys for expenditure in such 38 
institutional operating accounts, exclusive of amounts retained for 39 
central office operations and reasonable reserves for future distribution. 40 
All costs of waiving or remitting tuition pursuant to subsection (f) of this 41 
section shall be charged to the Regional Community-Technical Colleges 42 
Operating Fund. Repairs, alterations or additions to facilities supported 43 
by operating funds and costing one million dollars or more shall require 44 
the approval of the General Assembly, or when the General Assembly 45 
is not in session, of the Finance Advisory Committee. Any balance of 46 
receipts above expenditures shall remain in said fund, except such sums 47 
as may be required for deposit into a debt service fund or the General 48  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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Fund for further payment by the Treasurer of debt service on general 49 
obligation bonds of the state issued for purposes of community-50 
technical colleges. 51 
(c) [Commencing December 1, 1984, and thereafter not] Not later than 52 
sixty days after the close of each quarter, the [board of trustees] Board 53 
of Regents for Higher Education shall submit to the joint standing 54 
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 55 
relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, the Office 56 
of Higher Education and the Office of Policy and Management a report 57 
on the actual expenditures of the Regional Community-Technical 58 
Colleges Operating Fund.  59 
(d) Said board [of trustees] shall (1) waive the payment of tuition at 60 
any of the regional community-technical colleges [(1)] (A) for any 61 
dependent child of a person whom the armed forces of the United States 62 
has declared to be missing in action or to have been a prisoner of war 63 
while serving in such armed forces after January 1, 1960, which child 64 
has been accepted for admission to such institution and is a resident of 65 
the state at the time such child is accepted for admission to such 66 
institution, [(2) subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, 67 
for any (A) veteran who performed service in time of war, as defined in 68 
section 27-103, or (B) person with a qualifying condition, as defined in 69 
said section, who has received a discharge other than bad conduct or 70 
dishonorable from active service in the armed forces and who 71 
performed service in time of war, except that for purposes of this 72 
subsection, "service in time of war" shall not include time spent in 73 
attendance at a military service academy, which veteran or person has 74 
been accepted for admission to such institution and is domiciled in this 75 
state at the time such veteran or person is accepted for admission to such 76 
institution, (3)] (B) for any resident of the state sixty-two years of age or 77 
older, provided, at the end of the regular registration period, there are 78 
enrolled in the course a sufficient number of students other than those 79 
residents eligible for waivers pursuant to this subdivision to offer the 80 
course in which such resident intends to enroll and there is space 81  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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available in such course after accommodating all such students, [(4)] (C) 82 
for any student attending the Connecticut State Police Academy who is 83 
enrolled in a law enforcement program at said academy offered in 84 
coordination with a regional community-technical college which 85 
accredits courses taken in such program, [(5)] (D) for any active member 86 
of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who [(A)] (i) has been 87 
certified by the Adjutant General or such Adjutant General's designee 88 
as a member in good standing of the guard, and [(B)] (ii) is enrolled or 89 
accepted for admission to such institution on a full-time or part-time 90 
basis in an undergraduate degree-granting program, [(6)] (E) for any 91 
dependent child of a [(A)] (i) police officer, as defined in section 7-294a, 92 
or supernumerary or auxiliary police officer, [(B)] (ii) firefighter, as 93 
defined in section 7-323j, or member of a volunteer fire company, [(C)] 94 
(iii) municipal employee, or [(D)] (iv) state employee, as defined in 95 
section 5-154, killed in the line of duty, [(7)] (F) for any resident of the 96 
state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a specified 97 
terrorist victim who was a resident of this state, [(8)] (G) for any 98 
dependent child of a resident of the state who was killed in a 99 
multivehicle crash at or near the intersection of Routes 44 and 10 and 100 
Nod Road in Avon on July 29, 2005, and [(9)] (H) for any resident of the 101 
state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a person who was 102 
killed in action while performing active military duty with the armed 103 
forces of the United States on or after September 11, 2001, and who was 104 
a resident of this state, and (2) waive the payment of tuition and student 105 
fees at any of the regional community-technical colleges, subject to the 106 
provisions of subsection (e) of this section, for any (A) veteran who 107 
performed service in time of war, as defined in section 27-103, or (B) 108 
person with a qualifying condition, as defined in said section, who has 109 
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active 110 
service in the armed forces and who performed service in time of war, 111 
except that for purposes of this subsection, "service in time of war" shall 112 
not include time spent in attendance at a military service academy, 113 
which veteran or person has been accepted for admission to such 114 
institution and is domiciled in this state at the time such veteran or 115 
person is accepted for admission to such institution. If any person who 116  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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receives a tuition or student fee waiver in accordance with the 117 
provisions of this subsection also receives educational reimbursement 118 
from an employer, such waiver shall be reduced by the amount of such 119 
educational reimbursement. Veterans and persons described in 120 
subdivision (2) of this subsection and members of the National Guard 121 
described in [subdivision (5)] subparagraph (D) of subdivision (1) of this 122 
subsection shall be given the same status as students not receiving 123 
tuition waivers in registering for courses at regional community-124 
technical colleges. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10a-30, as 125 
used in this subsection, "domiciled in this state" includes domicile for 126 
less than one year. 127 
(e) [(1)] If any veteran described in subsection (d) of this section has 128 
applied for federal educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Veterans 129 
Educational Assistance Act of 2008, the [board of trustees] Board of 130 
Regents for Higher Education shall waive the payment of tuition and 131 
student fees at any of the regional community-technical colleges for 132 
such veteran [in accordance with subdivision (2) of this subsection] for 133 
any amount in excess of the federal educational assistance received by 134 
such veteran. If any such veteran certifies to said board that such 135 
veteran's application for such federal educational assistance has been 136 
denied or withdrawn, said board [of trustees] shall waive the payment 137 
of tuition and student fees in accordance with subsection (d) of this 138 
section. 139 
[(2) (A) For purposes of this subdivision, "veteran tuition benefit" 140 
means the portion of federal educational assistance under the Post-9/11 141 
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 to be paid to a regional 142 
community-technical college on behalf of a veteran that represents 143 
payment for tuition. Such portion shall be calculated by multiplying (i) 144 
the total amount of such federal educational assistance to be paid to a 145 
regional community-technical college on behalf of such veteran by (ii) 146 
an amount obtained by dividing (I) the actual tuition charged by such 147 
college to such veteran by (II) the sum of the actual tuition and fees 148 
charged by such college to such veteran.  149  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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(B) Said board of trustees shall waive the payment of tuition in excess 150 
of the veteran tuition benefit at any of the regional community-technical 151 
colleges for such veteran.] 152 
(f) Said board shall set aside from its anticipated regional community-153 
technical college tuition revenue, an amount not less than that required 154 
by said board's tuition policy. Such funds shall be used to provide 155 
tuition waivers, tuition remissions, grants for educational expenses and 156 
student employment for residents enrolled in regional community-157 
technical colleges as full or part-time matriculated students in a degree-158 
granting program, or enrolled in a precollege remedial program, who 159 
demonstrate substantial financial need. Said board may also set aside 160 
from its anticipated tuition revenue an additional amount equal to one 161 
per cent of said tuition revenue for financial assistance for students who 162 
would not otherwise be eligible for financial assistance but who do have 163 
a financial need as determined by the college in accordance with this 164 
subsection. In determining such financial need, the college shall exclude 165 
the value of equity in the principal residence of the student's parents or 166 
legal guardians, or in the student's principal residence if the student is 167 
not considered to be a dependent of his parents or legal guardians and 168 
shall assess the earnings of a dependent student at the rate of thirty per 169 
cent. 170 
(g) The Regional Community-Technical Colleges Operating Fund 171 
shall be reimbursed for the amount by which the tuition and student fee 172 
waivers granted under subsection (d) of this section exceed five per cent 173 
of tuition and student fee revenue through an annual state 174 
appropriation. The board of trustees shall request such an appropriation 175 
and [said] such appropriation shall be based upon an estimate of tuition 176 
and student fee revenue loss using tuition rates and student fees in effect 177 
for the fiscal year in which such appropriation will apply. 178 
(h) Said board [of trustees] shall allow any student who is a member 179 
of the armed forces called to active duty during any semester to enroll 180 
in any course for which such student had remitted tuition but which 181 
was not completed due to active duty status. Such course reenrollment 182  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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shall be offered to any qualifying student for a period not exceeding four 183 
years after the date of release from active duty without additional 184 
tuition, student fee or related charge, except if such student has been 185 
fully reimbursed for the tuition, fees and charges for the course that was 186 
not completed. 187 
Sec. 2. Section 10a-99 of the general statutes is repealed and the 188 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 189 
(a) Subject to the provisions of section 10a-26, the Board of [Trustees 190 
of the Connecticut State University System] Regents for Higher 191 
Education shall fix fees for tuition and shall fix fees for such other 192 
purposes as the board deems necessary at the university, and may make 193 
refunds of the same. 194 
(b) The Board of [Trustees of the Connecticut State University 195 
System] Regents for Higher Education shall establish and administer a 196 
fund to be known as the Connecticut State University System Operating 197 
Fund. Appropriations from general revenues of the state and upon 198 
request by the Connecticut State University System and with the annual 199 
review and approval by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 200 
Management, the amount of the appropriations for fringe benefits 201 
pursuant to subsection (a) of section 4-73, shall be transferred from the 202 
State Comptroller and all tuition revenue received by the Connecticut 203 
State University System in accordance with the provisions of subsection 204 
(a) of this section shall be deposited in said fund. Income from student 205 
fees or related charges, the proceeds of auxiliary activities and business 206 
enterprises, gifts and donations, federal funds and grants, subject to the 207 
provisions of sections 10a-98 to 10a-98g, inclusive, and all receipts 208 
derived from the conduct by a state university of its education extension 209 
program and its summer school session shall be credited to said fund 210 
but shall be allocated to the central office and institutional operating 211 
accounts which shall be established and maintained for the central office 212 
and each state university. Any such gifts and donations, federal funds 213 
and grants for purposes of research shall be allocated to separate 214 
accounts within such central office and institutional operating accounts. 215  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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If the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management disapproves 216 
such transfer, [he] the secretary may require the amount of the 217 
appropriation for operating expenses to be used for personal services 218 
and fringe benefits to be excluded from said fund. The State Treasurer 219 
shall review and approve the transfer prior to such request by [the 220 
university] said board. The board [of trustees] shall establish an 221 
equitable policy for allocation of appropriations from general revenues 222 
of the state, fringe benefits transferred from the State Comptroller and 223 
tuition revenue deposited in the Connecticut State University System 224 
Operating Fund. At the beginning of each quarter of the fiscal year, the 225 
board shall allocate and transfer, in accordance with said policy, moneys 226 
for expenditure in such institutional operating accounts, exclusive of 227 
amounts retained for central office operations and reasonable reserves 228 
for future distribution. All costs of waiving or remitting tuition pursuant 229 
to subsection (f) of this section shall be charged to the Connecticut State 230 
University System Operating Fund. Repairs, alterations or additions to 231 
facilities supported by the Connecticut State University System 232 
Operating Fund and costing one million dollars or more shall require 233 
the approval of the General Assembly, or when the General Assembly 234 
is not in session, of the Finance Advisory Committee. Any balance of 235 
receipts above expenditures shall remain in said fund, except such sums 236 
as may be required for deposit into a debt service fund or the General 237 
Fund for further payment by the Treasurer of debt service on general 238 
obligation bonds of the state issued for purposes of the Connecticut 239 
State University System. 240 
(c) [Commencing December 1, 1984, and thereafter not] Not later than 241 
sixty days after the close of each quarter, the [board of trustees] Board 242 
of Regents for Higher Education shall submit to the joint standing 243 
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 244 
relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, the Office 245 
of Higher Education and the Office of Policy and Management a report 246 
on the actual expenditures of the Connecticut State University System 247 
Operating Fund. 248  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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(d) Said board shall (1) waive the payment of tuition fees at the 249 
Connecticut State University System [(1)] (A) for any dependent child 250 
of a person whom the armed forces of the United States has declared to 251 
be missing in action or to have been a prisoner of war while serving in 252 
such armed forces after January 1, 1960, which child has been accepted 253 
for admission to such institution and is a resident of the state at the time 254 
such child is accepted for admission to such institution, [(2) subject to 255 
the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, for any (A) veteran who 256 
performed service in time of war, as defined in section 27-103, or (B) 257 
person with a qualifying condition, as defined in said section, who has 258 
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active 259 
service in the armed forces and who performed service in time of war, 260 
except that for purposes of this subsection, "service in time of war" shall 261 
not include time spent in attendance at a military service academy, 262 
which veteran or person has been accepted for admission to such 263 
institution and is domiciled in this state at the time such veteran or 264 
person is accepted for admission to such institution, (3)] (B) for any 265 
resident of the state sixty-two years of age or older who has been 266 
accepted for admission to such institution, provided [(A)] (i) such 267 
resident is enrolled in a degree-granting program, or [(B)] (ii) at the end 268 
of the regular registration period, there are enrolled in the course a 269 
sufficient number of students other than those residents eligible for 270 
waivers pursuant to this subdivision to offer the course in which such 271 
resident intends to enroll and there is space available in such course 272 
after accommodating all such students, [(4)] (C) for any student 273 
attending the Connecticut Police Academy who is enrolled in a law 274 
enforcement program at said academy offered in coordination with the 275 
university which accredits courses taken in such program, [(5)] (D) for 276 
any active member of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who 277 
[(A)] (i) has been certified by the Adjutant General or such Adjutant 278 
General's designee as a member in good standing of the guard, and [(B)] 279 
(ii) is enrolled or accepted for admission to such institution on a full-280 
time or part-time basis in an undergraduate or graduate degree-281 
granting program, [(6)] (E) for any dependent child of a [(A)] (i) police 282 
officer, as defined in section 7-294a, or supernumerary or auxiliary 283  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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police officer, [(B)] (ii) firefighter, as defined in section 7-323j, or member 284 
of a volunteer fire company, [(C)] (iii) municipal employee, or [(D)] (iv) 285 
state employee, as defined in section 5-154, killed in the line of duty, [(7)] 286 
(F) for any resident of this state who is a dependent child or surviving 287 
spouse of a specified terrorist victim who was a resident of the state, 288 
[(8)] (G) for any dependent child of a resident of the state who was killed 289 
in a multivehicle crash at or near the intersection of Routes 44 and 10 290 
and Nod Road in Avon on July 29, 2005, and [(9)] (H) for any resident 291 
of the state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a person 292 
who was killed in action while performing active military duty with the 293 
armed forces of the United States on or after September 11, 2001, and 294 
who was a resident of this state, and (2) waive the payment of tuition 295 
and student fees at the Connecticut State University System, subject to 296 
the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, for any (A) veteran who 297 
performed service in time of war, as defined in section 27-103, or (B) 298 
person with a qualifying condition, as defined in said section, who has 299 
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active 300 
service in the armed forces and who performed service in time of war, 301 
except that for purposes of this subsection, "service in time of war" shall 302 
not include time spent in attendance at a military service academy, 303 
which veteran or person has been accepted for admission to such 304 
institution and is domiciled in this state at the time such veteran or 305 
person is accepted for admission to such institution. If any person who 306 
receives a tuition or student fee waiver in accordance with the 307 
provisions of this subsection also receives educational reimbursement 308 
from an employer, such waiver shall be reduced by the amount of such 309 
educational reimbursement. Veterans and persons described in 310 
subdivision (2) of this subsection and members of the National Guard 311 
described in [subdivision (5)] subparagraph (D) of subdivision (1) of this 312 
subsection shall be given the same status as students not receiving 313 
tuition waivers in registering for courses at Connecticut state 314 
universities. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10a-30, as used 315 
in this subsection, "domiciled in this state" includes domicile for less 316 
than one year. 317  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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(e) [(1)] If any veteran described in subsection (d) of this section has 318 
applied for federal educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Veterans 319 
Educational Assistance Act of 2008, the [board of trustees] Board of 320 
Regents for Higher Education shall waive the payment of tuition and 321 
student fees at the Connecticut State University System for such veteran 322 
[in accordance with subdivision (2) of this subsection] for any amount 323 
in excess of the federal educational assistance received by such veteran. 324 
If any such veteran certifies to said board that such veteran's application 325 
for such federal educational assistance has been denied or withdrawn, 326 
said board [of trustees] shall waive the payment of tuition and student 327 
fees in accordance with subsection (d) of this section. 328 
[(2) (A) For purposes of this subdivision, "veteran tuition benefit" 329 
means the portion of federal educational assistance under the Post-9/11 330 
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 to be paid to the 331 
Connecticut State University System on behalf of a veteran that 332 
represents payment for tuition. Such portion shall be calculated by 333 
multiplying (i) the total amount of such federal educational assistance 334 
to be paid to the Connecticut State University System on behalf of such 335 
veteran by (ii) an amount obtained by dividing (I) the actual tuition 336 
charged by the Connecticut State University System to such veteran by 337 
(II) the sum of the actual tuition and fees charged by the Connecticut 338 
State University System to such veteran.  339 
(B) Said board of trustees shall waive the payment of tuition in excess 340 
of the veteran tuition benefit at the Connecticut State University System 341 
for such veteran.] 342 
(f) Said board shall set aside from its anticipated tuition revenue, an 343 
amount not less than that required by the [board of governors'] board's 344 
tuition policy established under subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of 345 
section 10a-6. Such funds shall be used to provide tuition waivers, 346 
tuition remissions, grants for educational expenses and student 347 
employment for any undergraduate or graduate student who is enrolled 348 
as a full or part-time matriculated student in a degree-granting 349 
program, or enrolled in a precollege remedial program, and who 350  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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demonstrates substantial financial need. Said board may also set aside 351 
from its anticipated tuition revenue an additional amount equal to one 352 
per cent of said tuition revenue for financial assistance for students who 353 
would not otherwise be eligible for financial assistance but who do have 354 
a financial need as determined by the university in accordance with this 355 
subsection. In determining such financial need, the university shall 356 
exclude the value of equity in the principal residence of the student's 357 
parents or legal guardians, or in the student's principal residence if the 358 
student is not considered to be a dependent of his parents or legal 359 
guardians and shall assess the earnings of a dependent student at the 360 
rate of thirty per cent. 361 
(g) The Connecticut State University System Operating Fund shall be 362 
reimbursed for the amount by which the tuition and student fee waivers 363 
granted under subsection (d) of this section exceed two and one-half per 364 
cent of tuition and student fee revenue through an annual state 365 
appropriation. The board [of trustees] shall request such an 366 
appropriation and [said] such appropriation shall be based upon an 367 
estimate of tuition and student fee revenue loss using tuition rates and 368 
student fees in effect for the fiscal year in which such appropriation will 369 
apply. 370 
(h) Said board [of trustees] shall allow any student who is a member 371 
of the armed forces called to active duty during any semester to enroll 372 
in any course for which such student had remitted tuition but which 373 
was not completed due to active duty status. Such course reenrollment 374 
shall be offered to any qualifying student for a period not exceeding four 375 
years after the date of release from active duty without additional 376 
tuition, student fee or related charge, except if such student has been 377 
fully reimbursed for the tuition, fees and charges for the course that was 378 
not completed. 379 
Sec. 3. Subsections (d) to (h), inclusive, of section 10a-105 of the 380 
general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 381 
thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 382  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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(d) [Commencing December 1, 1981, and thereafter not] Not later 383 
than sixty days after the close of each quarter, the board of trustees shall 384 
submit to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 385 
cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state 386 
agencies, the Office of Higher Education and the Office of Policy and 387 
Management a report on the actual expenditures of The University of 388 
Connecticut Operating Fund and The University of Connecticut Health 389 
Center Operating Fund containing such relevant information as the 390 
Office of Policy and Management may require. [in the form prescribed 391 
by the board of regents in accordance with subsection (a) of section 10a-392 
8.] 393 
(e) Said board of trustees shall (1) waive the payment of tuition fees 394 
at The University of Connecticut [(1)] (A) for any dependent child of a 395 
person whom the armed forces of the United States has declared to be 396 
missing in action or to have been a prisoner of war while serving in such 397 
armed forces after January 1, 1960, which child has been accepted for 398 
admission to The University of Connecticut and is a resident of the state 399 
at the time such child is accepted for admission to said institution, [(2) 400 
subject to the provisions of subsection (f) of this section, for any (A) 401 
veteran who performed service in time of war, as defined in section 27-402 
103, or (B) person with a qualifying condition, as defined in said section, 403 
who has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable 404 
from active service in the armed forces and who performed service in 405 
time of war, except that for purposes of this subsection, "service in time 406 
of war" shall not include time spent in attendance at a military service 407 
academy, which veteran or person has been accepted for admission to 408 
said institution and is domiciled in this state at the time such veteran or 409 
person is accepted for admission to said institution, (3)] (B) for any 410 
resident of the state sixty-two years of age or older who has been 411 
accepted for admission to said institution, provided [(A)] (i) such 412 
resident is enrolled in a degree-granting program, or [(B)] (ii) at the end 413 
of the regular registration period, there are enrolled in the course a 414 
sufficient number of students other than those residents eligible for 415 
waivers pursuant to this subdivision to offer the course in which such 416  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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resident intends to enroll and there is space available in such course 417 
after accommodating all such students, [(4)] (C) for any active member 418 
of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who [(A)] (i) has been 419 
certified by the Adjutant General or such Adjutant General's designee 420 
as a member in good standing of the guard, and [(B)] (ii) is enrolled or 421 
accepted for admission to said institution on a full-time or part-time 422 
basis in an undergraduate or graduate degree-granting program, [(5)] 423 
(D) for any dependent child of a [(A)] (i) police officer, as defined in 424 
section 7-294a, or supernumerary or auxiliary police officer, [(B)] (ii) 425 
firefighter, as defined in section 7-323j, or member of a volunteer fire 426 
company, [(C)] (iii) municipal employee, or [(D)] (iv) state employee, as 427 
defined in section 5-154, killed in the line of duty, [(6)] (E) for any 428 
resident of the state who is the dependent child or surviving spouse of 429 
a specified terrorist victim who was a resident of the state, [(7)] (F) for 430 
any dependent child of a resident of the state who was killed in a 431 
multivehicle crash at or near the intersection of Routes 44 and 10 and 432 
Nod Road in Avon on July 29, 2005, and [(8)] (G) for any resident of the 433 
state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a person who was 434 
killed in action while performing active military duty with the armed 435 
forces of the United States on or after September 11, 2001, and who was 436 
a resident of this state, and (2) waive the payment of tuition and student 437 
fees at The University of Connecticut, subject to the provisions of 438 
subsection (f) of this section, for any (A) veteran who performed service 439 
in time of war, as defined in section 27-103, or (B) person with a 440 
qualifying condition, as defined in said section, who has received a 441 
discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active service in 442 
the armed forces and who performed service in time of war, except that 443 
for purposes of this subsection, "service in time of war" shall not include 444 
time spent in attendance at a military service academy, which veteran 445 
or person has been accepted for admission to said institution and is 446 
domiciled in this state at the time such veteran or person is accepted for 447 
admission to said institution. If any person who receives a tuition or 448 
student fee waiver in accordance with the provisions of this subsection 449 
also receives educational reimbursement from an employer, such 450 
waiver shall be reduced by the amount of such educational 451  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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reimbursement. Veterans and persons described in subdivision (2) of 452 
this subsection and members of the National Guard described in 453 
[subdivision (4)] subparagraph (C) of subdivision (1) of this subsection 454 
shall be given the same status as students not receiving tuition waivers 455 
in registering for courses at The University of Connecticut. 456 
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10a-30, as used in this 457 
subsection, "domiciled in this state" includes domicile for less than one 458 
year. 459 
(f) [(1)] If any veteran described in subsection (e) of this section has 460 
applied for federal educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Veterans 461 
Educational Assistance Act of 2008, the board of trustees shall waive the 462 
payment of tuition and student fees at The University of Connecticut for 463 
such veteran [in accordance with subdivision (2) of this subsection] for 464 
any amount in excess of the federal educational assistance received by 465 
such veteran. If any such veteran certifies to said board that such 466 
veteran's application for such federal educational assistance has been 467 
denied or withdrawn, said board of trustees shall waive the payment of 468 
tuition in accordance with subsection (d) of this section. 469 
[(2) (A) For purposes of this subdivision, "veteran tuition benefit" 470 
means the portion of federal educational assistance under the Post-9/11 471 
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 to be paid to The 472 
University of Connecticut on behalf of a veteran that represents 473 
payment for tuition. Such portion shall be calculated by multiplying (i) 474 
the total amount of such federal educational assistance to be paid to The 475 
University of Connecticut on behalf of such veteran by (ii) an amount 476 
obtained by dividing (I) the actual tuition charged by The University of 477 
Connecticut to such veteran by (II) the sum of the actual tuition and fees 478 
charged by The University of Connecticut to such veteran. 479 
(B) Said board of trustees shall waive the payment of tuition in excess 480 
of the veteran tuition benefit at The University of Connecticut for such 481 
veteran.] 482 
(g) Said board of trustees shall set aside from its anticipated tuition 483  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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revenue, an amount not less than that required by the board of 484 
governors' tuition policy established under subdivision (3) of subsection 485 
(a) of section 10a-6. Such funds shall be used to provide tuition waivers, 486 
tuition remissions, grants for educational expenses and student 487 
employment for any undergraduate, graduate or professional student 488 
who is enrolled as a full or part-time matriculated student in a degree-489 
granting program, or enrolled in a precollege remedial program, and 490 
who demonstrates substantial financial need. Said board may also set 491 
aside from its anticipated tuition revenue an additional amount equal to 492 
one per cent of said tuition revenue for financial assistance for students 493 
who would not otherwise be eligible for financial assistance but who do 494 
have a financial need as determined by the university in accordance 495 
with this subsection. In determining such financial need, the university 496 
shall exclude the value of equity in the principal residence of the 497 
student's parents or legal guardians, or in the student's principal 498 
residence if the student is not considered to be a dependent of his 499 
parents or legal guardians and shall assess the earnings of a dependent 500 
student at the rate of thirty per cent. 501 
(h) The University of Connecticut Operating Fund shall be 502 
reimbursed for the amount by which tuition and student fee waivers 503 
granted under subsection (e) of this section exceed two and one-half per 504 
cent of tuition and student fee revenue through an annual state 505 
appropriation. The board of trustees shall request such an appropriation 506 
and [said] such appropriation shall be based upon an estimate of tuition 507 
and student fee revenue loss using tuition rates and student fees in effect 508 
for the fiscal year in which such appropriation will apply. 509 
Sec. 4. Subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 31-11ss of the 510 
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 511 
thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 512 
(2) In connection with providing the assistance described in 513 
subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, each liaison designated 514 
pursuant to this subsection shall also assist a veteran served by the 515 
program to obtain funding for the cost of attending a qualifying 516  Committee Bill No. 5544 
 
 
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advanced manufacturing certificate program. Such funding may 517 
include, but need not be limited to, (A) tuition and student fee waivers 518 
under sections 10a-77, as amended by this act, and 10a-99, as amended 519 
by this act, and (B) expenditures from the Workforce Training Authority 520 
Fund under section 31-11jj. 521 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 July 1, 2021 10a-77 
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 10a-99 
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 10a-105(d) to (h) 
Sec. 4 July 1, 2021 31-11ss(c)(2) 
 
HED Joint Favorable