HCS HB 1518 -- TUITION GRANTS FOR VETERANS' SURVIVORS

SPONSOR:  Day (Cunningham, 145)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
Veterans by a vote of 11 to 0.

This substitute allows the spouse and children of a soldier who
is killed in action after September 11, 2001, or who becomes 80%
disabled as the result of an injury sustained in combat action
after September 11, 2001, to receive an educational grant for
tuition at a public or private college or university in Missouri.
The Coordinating Board of Higher Education will award up to 25
grants annually.  If the waiting list of eligible survivors
exceeds 50, the board can ask the General Assembly to increase
the number of grants it is authorized to award.  The tuition
grant cannot exceed what is charged a resident by the University
of Missouri-Columbia.  The veteran must have been a Missouri
resident when first entering military service or at the time of
death in order for his or her survivors to receive this grant.
In addition to the full cost of tuition, the grant includes
$2,000 per semester for room and board and the actual cost of
books up to $500 per semester.

Children are eligible to receive the scholarship until age 25.
Spouses are eligible until age 45.  No eligible student will
receive a grant for more than 100% of tuition when combined with
similar funds given to the student.

The provisions of the substitute will expire six years from the
effective date.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of $223,424
to $377,110 in FY 2009, $416,847 to $733,439 in FY 2010, and
$605,038 to $1,094,172 in FY 2011.  No impact on Other State
Funds in FY 2009, FY 2010, and FY 2011.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill gives a little help to
those people whose parents or spouses have given the ultimate
sacrifice for their country.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Cunningham (145);
Dewey Riehn, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States,
Missouri Chapter; Ernie Lee, Missouri Association of Veterans
Organizations and Military Officers Association of America, State
Council; and Missouri Veterans Commission.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:10 pm