Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont Senate Bill S0130 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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5	5	VT LEG #381809 v.1
6	6	S.130 1
7	7	Introduced by Senators Ram Hinsdale and Weeks 2
8	8	Referred to Committee on 3
9	9	Date: 4
10	10	Subject: Education; grants, scholarships, education loan programs; National 5
11	11	Guard Tuition Benefit Program 6
12	12	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to extend the 7
13	13	Vermont National Guard Tuition Benefit Program to a member seeking a 8
14	14	graduate degree or a second baccalaureate degree, provided the member 9
15	15	satisfies eligibility criteria. 10
16	16	An act relating to expanding the National Guard Tuition Benefit Program 11
17	17	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
18	18	Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 2857 is amended to read: 13
19	19	§ 2857. VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD TUITION BENEFIT PROGRAM 14
20	20	(a) Program creation. The Vermont National Guard Tuition Benefit 15
21	21	Program (Program) is created, under which a member of the Vermont National 16
22	22	Guard (member) who meets the eligibility requirements in subsection (c) of 17
23	23	this section is entitled to the following tuition benefit for up to full-time 18
24	24	attendance: 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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29	29	(1) For courses at any Vermont State College institution or the 1
30	30	University of Vermont and State Agricultural College (UVM), the benefit shall 2
31	31	be the in-state residence tuition rate for the relevant institution. 3
32	32	(2) For courses at any eligible Vermont private postsecondary 4
33	33	institution, the benefit shall be the in-state tuition rate charged by UVM. 5
34	34	(3) For courses at an eligible training institution offering nondegree, 6
35	35	certificate training, or continuing education programs, the benefit shall be the 7
36	36	lower of the institution’s standard tuition or the in-state tuition rate charged by 8
37	37	UVM. 9
38	38	(4) For courses at a non-Vermont approved postsecondary education 10
39	39	institution approved for federal Title IV funding where the degree program is 11
40	40	not available in Vermont, the benefit shall be the in-state tuition rate charged 12
41	41	by UVM. 13
42	42	(b) Tuition benefit. 14
43	43	(1) The tuition benefit provided under the Program shall be paid on 15
44	44	behalf of the member by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation 16
45	45	(VSAC), subject to the appropriation of funds by the General Assembly 17
46	46	specifically for this purpose. An eligible Vermont postsecondary institution 18
47	47	that accepts or receives the tuition benefit on behalf of a member shall charge 19
48	48	the member the tuition rate for an in-state student. The amount of tuition for a 20
49	49	member who attends an educational institution under the Program on less than 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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53	53	VT LEG #381809 v.1
54	54	a full-time basis shall be reduced to reflect the member’s course load in a 1
55	55	manner determined by VSAC under subdivision (f)(1) of this section. 2
56	56	(2) The tuition benefit shall be conditioned upon the member’s 3
57	57	executing a promissory note obligating the member to repay the member’s 4
58	58	tuition benefit, in whole or in part, if the member fails to complete the period 5
59	59	of Vermont National Guard service required in subsection (d) of this section, 6
60	60	or if the member’s benefit is terminated pursuant to subdivision (e)(1) of this 7
61	61	section. If the member is pursuing a graduate degree under the Program, the 8
62	62	member shall agree in the promissory note to, upon receipt of the graduate 9
63	63	degree and until the individual’s service commitment under subsection (d) of 10
64	64	this section is satisfied, be employed full time in Vermont or, if unemployed, 11
65	65	be actively seeking full-time employment in Vermont. 12
66	66	(c) Eligibility. 13
67	67	(1) To be eligible for the Program, an individual, whether a resident or 14
68	68	nonresident, shall satisfy all of the following requirements: 15
69	69	(A) be an active member of the Vermont National Guard; 16
70	70	(B) have successfully completed basic training; 17
71	71	(C) be enrolled at UVM, a Vermont State College, or any other 18
72	72	college or university located in Vermont in a program that leads to an 19
73	73	undergraduate certificate or, a baccalaureate degree, or a graduate degree, or at 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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77	77	VT LEG #381809 v.1
78	78	an eligible training institution in a program that leads to a certificate or other 1
79	79	credential recognized by VSAC; 2
80	80	(D) have not previously earned an undergraduate bachelor’s degree 3
81	81	that was funded under the Program or any other State funding source 4
82	82	designated exclusively for members of the Vermont National Guard; 5
83	83	(E) continually demonstrate satisfactory academic progress as 6
84	84	determined by criteria established by the Vermont National Guard and VSAC, 7
85	85	in consultation with the educational institution at which the individual is 8
86	86	enrolled under the Program; 9
87	87	(F) have used available post-September 11, 2001 tuition benefits and 10
88	88	other federally funded military tuition assistance; provided, however, that this 11
89	89	subdivision shall not apply to: 12
90	90	(i) tuition benefits and other federally funded military tuition 13
91	91	assistance for which the individual has not yet earned the full amount of the 14
92	92	benefit or tuition; 15
93	93	(ii) Montgomery GI Bill benefits; 16
94	94	(iii) post-September 11, 2001 educational program housing 17
95	95	allowances; 18
96	96	(iv) federal educational entitlements; 19
97	97	(v) National Guard scholarship grants; 20
98	98	(vi) loans under section 2856 of this title; and 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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103	103	(vii) other nontuition benefits; and 1
104	104	(G) have submitted a statement of good standing to VSAC signed by 2
105	105	the individual’s commanding officer within 30 days prior to the beginning of 3
106	106	each semester. 4
107	107	(2) An individual may receive more than one undergraduate certificate 5
108	108	or other credential recognized by VSAC under the Program, provided that the 6
109	109	cost of all certificates and credentials received by the individual under the 7
110	110	Program does not exceed the full-time in-state tuition rate charged by UVM for 8
111	111	completion of an undergraduate baccalaureate degree. 9
112	112	(3) Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(1)(D) of this section, an individual 10
113	113	may pursue a graduate degree under the Program even if the individual has 11
114	114	received an undergraduate baccalaureate degree under the Program. 12
115	115	(d) Service commitment. 13
116	116	(1) For each full academic year of attendance under the Program, a 14
117	117	member shall be required to serve two years in the Vermont National Guard in 15
118	118	order to receive the full tuition benefit under the Program. 16
119	119	(2) If a member’s service with the Vermont National Guard terminates 17
120	120	before the member fulfills this two-year service commitment, other than for 18
121	121	good cause as determined by the Vermont National Guard, the individual shall 19
122	122	reimburse VSAC a pro rata portion of the tuition paid under the Program 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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127	127	pursuant to the terms of an interest-free reimbursement promissory note signed 1
128	128	by the individual at the time of entering the Program. 2
129	129	(3) For members participating in the Program on a less than full-time 3
130	130	basis, the member’s service commitment shall be at the rate of one month of 4
131	131	Vermont National Guard service commitment for each credit hour, not to 5
132	132	exceed 12 months of service commitment for a single semester. 6
133	133	(e) Termination of tuition benefit. 7
134	134	(1) The Office of the Vermont Adjutant and Inspector General may 8
135	135	terminate the tuition benefit provided an individual under the Program if: 9
136	136	(A) the individual’s commanding officer revokes the statement of 10
137	137	good standing submitted pursuant to subdivision (c)(7) of this section as a 11
138	138	result of an investigation or disciplinary action that occurred after the statement 12
139	139	of good standing was issued; 13
140	140	(B) the individual is dismissed from the educational institution in 14
141	141	which the individual is enrolled under the Program for academic or 15
142	142	disciplinary reasons; or 16
143	143	(C) the individual withdraws without good cause from the 17
144	144	educational institution in which the individual is enrolled under the Program; 18
145	145	or 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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150	150	(D) the individual has earned a graduate degree under the Program 1
151	151	and fails to satisfy the work requirement contained in subdivision (b)(2) of this 2
152	152	section. 3
153	153	(2) If an individual’s tuition benefit is terminated pursuant to 4
154	154	subdivision (1) of this subsection, the individual shall reimburse VSAC for the 5
155	155	tuition paid under the Program, pursuant to the terms of an interest-free 6
156	156	reimbursement promissory note signed by the individual at the time of entering 7
157	157	the Program; shall be responsible on a pro rata basis for the remaining tuition 8
158	158	cost for the current semester or any courses in which the individual is currently 9
159	159	enrolled; and shall be ineligible to receive future tuition benefits under the 10
160	160	Program. 11
161	161	(3) If an individual is dismissed for academic or disciplinary reasons 12
162	162	from any postsecondary educational institution before receiving tuition 13
163	163	benefits under the Program, the Office of the Adjutant and Inspector General 14
164	164	may make a determination regarding the individual’s eligibility to receive 15
165	165	tuition benefits under the Program. 16
166	166	(f) Adoption of policies, procedures, and guidelines. 17
167	167	(1) VSAC, in consultation with the Office of the Adjutant and Inspector 18
168	168	General, shall adopt policies, procedures, and guidelines necessary to 19
169	169	implement the provisions of this section, which shall include eligibility, 20
170	170	application, and acceptance requirements,; proration of service requirements 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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175	175	for academic semesters or attendance periods shorter than one year,; data 1
176	176	sharing guidelines,; and the criteria for determining “good cause” as used in 2
177	177	subdivisions (d)(2) and (e)(1)(C) of this section. 3
178	178	(2) Each educational institution participating in the Program shall adopt 4
179	179	policies and procedures for the enrollment of members under the Program. 5
180	180	These policies and procedures shall be consistent with the policies, procedures, 6
181	181	and guidelines adopted by VSAC under subdivision (1) of this subsection. 7
182	182	(g) Reports. 8
183	183	(1) On or before November 1 of each year, the President, Chancellor, or 9
184	184	equivalent position of each educational institution that participated in the 10
185	185	Program during the immediately preceding school year shall report to the 11
186	186	Vermont National Guard and VSAC regarding the number of members 12
187	187	enrolled at its institution during that school year who received tuition benefits 13
188	188	under the Program and, to the extent available, the courses or program in 14
189	189	which the members were enrolled. 15
190	190	(2) On or before January 15 of each year, the Vermont National Guard 16
191	191	and VSAC shall report these data and other relevant performance factors, 17
192	192	including information pertaining to the achievement of the goals of this 18
193	193	entitlement program and the costs of the Program to date, to the Governor, the 19
194	194	House and Senate Committees on Education, and the House Committees on 20
195	195	Appropriations and on General, Housing, and Military Affairs. The provisions 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.130
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200	200	of 2 V.S.A. § 20(d), expiration of reports, shall not apply to the reports to be 1
201	201	made under this subsection. 2
202	202	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 3
203	203	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 4