SB 537

This bill requires the Higher Educational Aids Board to make veteran-related

grants for students enrolled in bachelor's or graduate degree programs at private

nonprofit institutions that are members of the Wisconsin Association of Independent

Colleges and Universities. The grants are made for students who would have

qualified for veteran-related tuition remissions if they had enrolled in the

University of Wisconsin System or a technical college. Subject to certain residency

requirements, those students consist of veterans, as well as spouses, unremarried

surviving spouses, and, subject to age limits, children of veterans with

service-related disabilities or veterans who died in the line of duty or as the result

of service-related disabilities. Like the UW System and technical college remissions,

the Department of Veteran Affairs is required to verify veteran status.

Before making a grant for a student for a semester or session, HEAB must

require the student to apply to the payment of tuition all the educational assistance

to which the student is entitled under specified federal veteran educational

assistance programs. The same requirement applies under current law for the UW

System and technical college remissions. The bill limits the grants for an individual

student for a period of no more than 128 credits or eight semesters or sessions,

whichever is longer. However, if a student previously received veteran-related

tuition remissions from the UW System or a technical college, that limit is reduced

by the number of credits, semesters, or sessions for which the student received the

tuition remissions. The bill also requires a student to maintain a cumulative grade

point average of at least 2.0 in order to qualify for the grants.

The amount of a grant for a student for a semester or session must equal the

lesser of $2,000 or 50 percent of the difference between the amount of tuition charged

by the private nonprofit institution and the amount of tuition paid for the student

under specified federal veteran educational assistance programs. The bill requires

HEAB to make the grants to a student's private nonprofit institution to offset the

tuition charged by the institution. If HEAB makes a grant under the bill, the

student's institution must match the amount of the grant to offset the tuition charged

to the student.