53B-8c-103 - Tuition waivers for surviving spouses and children of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty -- Qualifications -- Limitations.
53B-8c-103. Tuition waivers for surviving spouses and children of police officersand firefighters killed in the line of duty -- Qualifications -- Limitations.
(1) Beginning in the 1997-98 academic year, and subject to the limitations in Subsections(2), (3), and (4) of this section, a state institution of higher education shall waive tuition for eachchild and surviving spouse of a Utah peace officer or Utah firefighter who has been killed or iskilled in the line of duty if the individual meets the following requirements:
(a) applies, qualifies, and is admitted as a full-time, part-time, or summer school studentin a program of study leading to a degree or certificate;
(b) is a resident student of the state as determined under Section 53B-8-102;
(c) applies to the department for a waiver of tuition under this chapter and providesevidence satisfactory to the department that:
(i) the applicant is the surviving spouse or child of a peace officer or firefighter who waskilled in the line of duty;
(ii) the course or courses for which the applicant is seeking a tuition waiver meet therequirements of Subsection (2); and
(iii) the applicant meets the other requirements of this section;
(d) for a child of a peace officer or firefighter killed in the line of duty, applies underSubsection (1)(c) for the first time before the age of 25;
(e) is certified by the financial aid officer at the higher education institution as needing thetuition waiver in order to meet recognized educational expenses, with the understanding that if theapplicant's family income, excluding any income from death benefits attributable to the peaceofficer's or firefighter's death, is below 400% of the poverty level under federal povertyguidelines, income from any death benefits accruing to the applicant as a result of the death maynot be counted as family income in determining financial need under this Subsection (1)(e);
(f) maintains satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the institution of highereducation, for each term or semester in which the individual is enrolled, which may be measuredby the definition used for federal student assistance programs under Title IV of the HigherEducation Act of 1965; and
(g) has not achieved a bachelor's degree and has received tuition reimbursement underthis chapter for less than 124 semester credits or 180 quarter credits at an institution of highereducation.
(2) A child or surviving spouse of a peace officer or firefighter who was killed in the lineof duty is eligible for a tuition waiver under this section of not more than nine semesters or theequivalent number of quarters.
(3) Tuition shall be waived only to the extent that the tuition is not covered or paid by anyscholarship, trust fund, statutory benefit, or any other source of tuition coverage available for awaiver under this chapter.
(4) An institution of higher education shall waive tuition under this chapter only forcourses that are applicable toward the degree or certificate requirements of the program in whichthe child or surviving spouse is enrolled.
Amended by Chapter 282, 1998 General Session