WEST virginia legislature
2025 regular session
Committee Substitute
for
House Bill 2610
By Delegates Cooper and Heckert
[Reported March 19, 2025 in the Committee on Education, then to the Committee on Finance ]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18B-10-7e, relating to tuition and fees at state institutions of higher education; defining terms; requiring state institutions of higher education to provide waivers of tuition and fees to military veterans, their spouses and their dependents under certain circumstances; and setting forth requirements that must be met to receive waiver.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## ARTICLE 10. FEES AND OTHER MONEY COLLECTED AT STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
“Eligible veteran" means a former member of the armed forces who satisfies the 50
percent disability threshold as based on the Veterans Administration Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD);
“Eligible spouse” means a current spouse of an eligible veteran who lives in the eligible veteran’s household;
“Eligible dependent” means a legal dependent of an eligible veteran who lives in the eligible veteran’s household; and
“State institutions of higher education” means an institution defined by §18B-1-2 of this code.
mandatory fees for eligible veterans, eligible spouses and eligible dependents if the following conditions are met:
shall:
(A) Apply to and be accepted to an associate or bachelor’s program at a state institution of higher education; and
(B) Apply for other student financial assistance, other than student loans, in compliance with federal financial aid rules, including the federal Pell grant.
(2) The waiver may only be used after all other sources of financial aid that are dedicated solely to tuition and fees are exhausted.
(3) The renewal of the waiver is contingent upon the eligible veteran, eligible spouse or eligible dependent maintaining a 2.5 grade point average.