LEGISLATIVE TUITION/FEE EXEMPTIONS
The following is a list of each legislative mandated tuition/fee exemption and its corresponding Louisiana Revised Statute (LRS). These tuition/fee exemptions are available to those who demonstrate eligibility and are not subject to the approval of a scholarship committee.
VETERANS
Children, Spouses and Surviving Spouses of
Deceased or Disabled Veterans (LRS 29.288)
Eligibility:
“Children not less than 16 nor more than 25 years of age, spouses and surviving spouses within 10 years from the date of eligibility”
Benefits:
“Tuition, matriculation, registration, laboratory, athletic, medical, and other school-imposed
fees, including but not limited to non-residency and other special fees if the veteran has been a
resident of the state for a period of not less than twenty-four months immediately preceding the
dependent’s admission into a program of education.”
Duration of Benefits: None specified
Reimbursement to College: None
POLICE OFFICERS/SHERIFFS/PAROLE OFFICERS
Children of Deceased or Disabled Police Officers, Sheriffs,
and Certain Parole Officers- Line of Duty (LRS 17.1681.1)
Eligibility:
“any child of a police officer and parole officer of the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections
who was or is killed or permanently disabled after January 1, 1973, in the course and scope of
the performance of his duties as such”
Benefits:
“any fees or other charges for tuition, books, reference manuals, and other aids to instruction
required in any undertaken course and room and board”
Duration of Benefits:
“. . . as long as such child meets the academic standards and complies with the rules and regulations of such college or university required for attendance therein as a full-time student.”
. . . “Such exemption shall exist for such child for the number of semesters required of a full-time student to obtain one bachelor’s degree offered by such college or university.”
Reimbursement to College: None
FIREFIGHTERS
Children of Deceased or Disabled Firefighters (LRS 17.1682.1)
Eligibility:
“any child of a firefighter in the course and scope of the performance of his duties as such, which injury causes death or serious injury resulting in an inability to be employed, which child is otherwise eligible and meets all of the entrance requirements of a college or university”
Benefits:
“any fees, tuitions, or other charges, including room and board charges” . . . “a cash grant of two hundred fifty dollars per semester from such college or university as an allowance for books”
Duration of Benefits:
. . . “as long as such child meets the academic requirements and maintains a “C” average for each semester and complies with the rules and regulations of such college or university required for attendance therein as a full-time student.” . . . “Such exemption shall exist for such child for the number of semesters required of a full-time student to obtain one bachelor’s degree offered by such college or university.”
Reimbursement to College:
“. . . all of the above sum shall be paid out of funds appropriated from the general fund of the state of Louisiana.”
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS
Children of Correctional Officers
Injured or Killed in Performance of Duty (LRS 17.1682.1)
Eligibility:
“any child of a correctional officer as defined in 17:1685, which correctional officer is killed or permanently disabled in the course and scope of the performance of his duties as such, which child is otherwise eligible and meets all the entrance requirements of a college or university”
(17:1685 describes correctional officers as “all persons employed on a full-time basis by the Louisiana Department of Corrections as security correctional officers and all administrative, clerical, maintenance or other employees of the Louisiana Department of Corrections who, during the normal course of their official duties, are required to come in close personal contact with inmates who have been convicted of felonies and incarcerated in or on the grounds of a penal institution.”)
Benefits:
“any fees for tuitions, books or other charges, including room and board charges” . . . “a cash grant of one hundred twenty-five dollars per semester from such college or university as an allowance for books.”
Correctional Officers (Continued)
Duration of Benefits:
“. . . as long as such child meets the academic standards and complies with the rules and regulations of such college or university required for attendance there-in as a full-time student.” . . . “Such exemption shall exist for such child for the number of semesters required for a full- time student to obtain one bachelor degree offered by such college or university”. . . “In no event shall such scholarships exceed eight semesters for any one child.”
Reimbursement to College:
“No benefits shall be granted under the provisions of this Section unless funds are appropriated or otherwise made available for that purpose by the legislature. Any funds lost to any public college or university as a result of this Act shall be reimbursed to that college or university by the state of Louisiana.”
SANITATION WORKERS
Children of Deceased or Disabled Sanitation Worker (L.R.S. 17.1683.1)
Eligibility:
“any child of a sanitation worker injured in the course and scope of the performance of his duties as such, which injury causes death, serious injury resulting in an inability to be employed, which child is otherwise eligible and meets all of the entrance requirements of a college or university”
Benefits:
“any fees, tuitions, or other charges, including room and board charges” . . . “In addition thereto, such child shall be entitled to a cash grant of $125.00 per semester from such college or university as an allowance for books.” . . . “If the award of this scholarship should result in the reduction of scholarship and/or student aid available to such child from the U.S. Government, then the portion of said scholarship causing such reduction shall be adjusted or reduced accordingly.”
Duration of Benefits:
. . . “as long as such child meets the academic standards and complies with the rules and regulations of such college or university required for attendance therein as a full-time student.” . . . “Such exemption shall exist for such child for the number of semesters required of a full-time student to obtain one bachelor’s degree offered by such college or university.”
Reimbursement to College:
“which child . . . shall be admitted through a special appropriation from the general fund”
SCHOOL TEACHERS/ SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
Children of School Teachers and Other School Employees (L.R.S. 17:1684)
Eligibility:
“any child of a school teacher or other school employee, when such teacher or other school employee was or is killed or permanently and totally disabled as a consequence of physical assault and batter after June 30, 1976, in the course and scope of the performance of his duties as such, which child is otherwise eligible and meets all the entrance requirements of a college or university”
Benefits:
“any fees for tuition, books or other charges, including room and board charges” . . . “In addition thereto, such child shall be entitled to a cash grant of $125.00 per semester from such college or university as an allowance for books”
Duration of Benefits:
. . . “as long as such child meets the academic standards and complies with the rules and regulations of such college or university required for attendance therein as a full-time student. . . “Such exemption shall exist for such child for the number of semesters required of a full-time student to obtain one bachelor’s degree offered by such college university.” . . . “In no event shall such scholarship exceed eight semesters, or the equivalent of four nine-month school terms, whichever is longer in duration, for any one child.”
Reimbursement to College:
“Upon approval by the Board of Regents, the Division of Administration shall reimburse the appropriate institution and costs incurred in providing such services for children of school teachers or other employees killed or permanently and totally disabled.”
LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD
(LRS 29:36.1)
Eligibility:
“Any student enrolled or who may enroll in a public institution of higher learning of this state who is seventeen years of age or over and who is serving in the Louisiana National Guard”
. . . “any guardsman receiving such exemption from tuition charges must be a member in good standing of the active Louisiana National Guard at the beginning of and throughout the entire semester for which he receives benefits and to meet this requisite, he must continuously maintain satisfactory participation in the Louisiana National Guard as prescribed by regulations in effect and respectively promulgated by Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, and the Louisiana Department of Military Affairs.”
National Guard (Continued)
Benefits:
“exempt from all tuition charges imposed by any such institution of higher learning if the applicant for free tuition is presently domiciled in Louisiana” . . . “For any student participating in the tuition exemption program provided by this Section and who also receives benefits provided by the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students, the term “tuition” as used in this Section shall mean tuition as defined for purposes of the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students by the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission by rule.”
Duration of Benefits:
“this exemption may be claimed for five separate academic years or until the receipt of a bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first. However, any student receiving a tuition exemption under the provisions of this Section who is mobilized or called to active duty is entitled to an extension of the time the tuition exemption may be claimed equal to the amount of time served in active duty. If the service in the Louisiana National Guard of a student terminates or he is placed on scholastic probation while receiving the benefits of any exemption afforded by this Section, his exemption shall immediately be forfeited, and he shall pay to such institution all tuition charges from which he was exempted pursuant to this Section for the academic semester or quarter in which his service terminates or he is placed on scholastic probation.”
Reimbursement to College:
None specified.
PERSONS OVER FIFTY-FIVE
(LRS 17:1807)
Eligibility:
“Any person age fifty-five or over who registers for one or more courses of instruction at a public college or university in this state and who is a resident of this state” However, as there are no funds appropriated by the legislature (see “Reimbursement to College” below), the
College has within its authority allowed for a tuition/fee exemption for ONE credit
course for each person 60 or over.
Benefits:
“exempt from payment of tuition and other registration fees and shall receive a fifty percent reduction in the cost of textbooks, reference books, manuals, and other aids to instruction which
are required by any course in which such student is enrolled when purchased from a public
college or university operated bookstore.
Duration of Benefits:
None specified
Reimbursement to College:
“Any funds lost to any public college or university as a result of this Section shall be reimbursed to the college or university by the state. The tuition exemption and reduction in textbook costs provided in this Section shall be provided only if and to the extent that there are sufficient funds appropriated by the legislature to reimburse the public college or university granting
them.”
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