SENATE BILL 658

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Michael S. Sanchez

AN ACT

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; ENACTING THE MILITARY COMBAT VETERAN SCHOLARSHIP ACT; PROVIDING FOR A GRATIS SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE TUITION AND FEES OF MILITARY COMBAT VETERANS ATTENDING A PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of Chapter 21 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--This act may cited as the "Military Combat Veteran Scholarship Act"."

     SECTION 2. A new section of Chapter 21 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] GRATIS SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE TUITION AND FEES OF MILITARY COMBAT VETERANS.--

          A. The boards of regents of the university of New Mexico, New Mexico state university, New Mexico highlands university, western New Mexico university, eastern New Mexico university, New Mexico military institute and New Mexico institute of mining and technology and the governing body of any established branch community college established pursuant to Chapter 21, Article 14 NMSA 1978 and any community college established pursuant to Chapter 21, Article 13 or 16 NMSA 1978 shall establish and grant, in addition to those scholarships provided for in Section 21-1-2 NMSA 1978, gratis scholarships for the tuition and fees of qualified military combat veterans. A military combat veteran scholarship shall be granted in an amount necessary to meet but not exceed the matriculation fee or tuition and fees owed after exhausting all other sources of free financial aid, including private scholarships and grants and public scholarships and grants listed on the web site of the United States department of veterans affairs and in Chapter 21 NMSA 1978. The higher education department shall collaborate with the United States department of veterans affairs and the student to ensure that all other available sources of free financial aid are exhausted before determining the availability and calculating the amount of the military combat veteran scholarship.

          B. To be deemed a qualified military combat veteran for the purposes of this section, a student shall:

                (1) maintain residency in the state;

                (2) have graduated from a high school in the state or received a high school equivalency certificate in the state; and 

                (3) provide a certification from the United States department of veterans affairs of having:

                     (a) served on active duty in a theater of combat operations under an order of the United States president; and

                     (b) separated from the military with an honorable or general discharge."

     SECTION 3. A new section of Chapter 21 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] MILITARY COMBAT VETERAN SCHOLARSHIP

FUND.--A "military combat veteran scholarship fund" shall be created in each public post-secondary educational institution to carry out the provisions of Section 2 of the Military Combat Veteran Scholarship Act. Starting with fiscal year 2016, a sufficient amount of the appropriations from the legislature at each institution shall be transferred to the institution's military combat veteran scholarship fund."

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