SB1409 proposes amendments to the Arizona Revised Statutes regarding tuition scholarships for military veteran spouses. The bill seeks to extend eligibility for tuition scholarships from the Spouses of Military Veterans Tuition Scholarship Fund to include not only those enrolling in Arizona public universities or community colleges but also those enrolling in programs approved by the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services at degree-granting private postsecondary educational institutions in Arizona. The bill outlines that the scholarship amount for students at private institutions will be capped at the remainder of the average in-state tuition and fees charged by universities under the Arizona Board of Regents, after accounting for any federal aid, scholarships, public grants, or other financial assistance received by the student.

The bill also includes technical and conforming changes, such as the inclusion of private postsecondary educational institutions in the standards of satisfactory academic progress and the process for releasing personally identifiable information for determining scholarship eligibility. The scholarship can only be used for tuition and mandatory fees, and the bill specifies the conditions under which the Arizona Board of Regents will award scholarships based on available funds. The bill is set to become effective on the general effective date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-1809
Senate Engrossed Version: 15-1809