PURPOSE: The Vietnam Veteran’s Survivors Grant Program, established by section 173.236, RSMo, authorizes the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to provide tuition grants for eligible undergraduate students, who are survivors of Vietnam veterans whose deaths were attributed to or were caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during the Vietnam conflict, to attend an approved Missouri postsecondary institution. This administrative rule sets forth eligibility requirements of survivors for tuition grant assistance.

1. (1) Definitions.

   1. (A) Academic year or the period of the grant is the period from July 1 of any year through June 30 of the following year.
   2. (B) Applicant shall mean an eligible survivor who has filed a complete and accurate application to receive grant assistance as prescribed by the CBHE and who qualifies to receive a grant award under section 173.236, RSMo.
   3. (C) CBHE is the Coordinating Board for Higher Education created by section 173.005, RSMo.
   4. (D) Eligible survivor shall be any child or spouse of a Vietnam veteran as defined in section 173.236, RSMo.
   5. (E) Full-time student means a student who is enrolled in at least twelve (12) semester hours, eight (8) quarter hours, or the equivalent in another measurement system, but not less than the respective number sufficient to secure the certificate or degree toward which the student is working in no more than the number of semesters or their equivalent normally required by the institution for the program in which the student is enrolled, provided, however, that an otherwise eligible student having a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12101-12213) who, because of his disability, is unable to satisfy the statutory minimum requirements for full-time status under Title IV student aid programs shall be considered by the approved institution to be a full-time student and shall be considered to be making satisfactory academic degree progress, as defined in subsection (1)(M) of this rule, while carrying a minimum of six (6) credit hours or their equivalent at the approved institution.
   6. (F) Grant assistance, award, or funds shall be an amount of money paid by the MDHE to an eligible survivor pursuant to the provisions of this rule.
   7. (G) His, him, or he shall apply equally to the female as well as the male sex in this rule.
   8. (H) Initial recipient shall be any survivor who applies for grant assistance and meets the eligibility requirements in accordance with the provisions of this rule and is awarded and receives a tuition grant under the grant program as a first-time recipient.
   9. (I) Institution of postsecondary education or approved institution shall be any private or public institution located in Missouri that meets the requirements set forth in subdivision 173.1102(2) or (3), RSMo.
   10. (J) MDHE means the Missouri Department of Higher Education created by section 173.005, RSMo.
   11. (K) Renewal recipient shall be any survivor who applies for a tuition grant, received a tuition grant as an initial recipient, and meets the eligibility requirements in accordance with the provisions of this rule and the requirements as defined by the approved institution and is awarded renewable grant assistance under the grant program.
   12. (L) Resident of Missouri is any veteran who meets the requirements for resident status for Missouri set forth by the CBHE in 6 CSR 10-3.010.
   13. (M) Satisfactory academic progress shall be determined by the approved institution’s policies as applied to other students at the approved institution receiving assistance under Title IV financial aid programs included in the Higher Education Act of 1965.
   14. (N) Similar funds shall be any other state or federal student financial aid funds that are specifically designated for survivors of veterans.
   15. (O) Toxic chemicals shall be any chemical determined by the veteran’s administration medical authority to have contributed to or caused the death of a Vietnam veteran.
   16. (P) Tuition or incidental fee shall be the amount charged by an institution of postsecondary education for attendance at the institution by a student as a resident of this state.
   17. (Q) Tuition grant or grant program shall mean the Vietnam Veteran’s Survivors Grant Program as established by section 173.236, RSMo.
   18. (R) Vietnam veteran shall be any person who meets the requirements as established by section 173.236.1(6)(a)–(c), RSMo.

2. (2) Eligibility Policy.

   1. (A) To be eligible for grant assistance under the tuition grant program, an eligible survivor must meet the following conditions:

      1. 1. Be a citizen or permanent resident of

the United States;

1. 2. Be a child or spouse of a Vietnam vet-

eran whose death was attributed to or caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during the Vietnam conflict;

1. 3. Be enrolled or accepted for enroll-

ment as a full-time undergraduate student in a course of study leading to a certificate, or an associate or baccalaureate degree at an approved institution for the period of the grant;

1. 4. Maintain satisfactory academic

progress in his course of study, according to standards determined by the approved institution;

1. 5. Provide certification by a Missouri

state veterans service officer, upon certification from a Veteran’s Administration medical authority, that the exposure to toxic chemicals contributed to or was the cause of death of the veteran; and

1. 6. Complete an application for tuition

grant assistance on forms provided and prescribed by the CBHE.

1. (B) Grant assistance shall be allotted for one (1) academic year, but an applicant shall be eligible for renewed assistance until the earliest of the following occurs:

   1. 1. He has obtained a baccalaureate

degree;

1. 2. He has completed one hundred fifty

1. (150) semester credit hours;

   1. 3. He has received grant assistance for a

total of ten (10) semesters or their equivalents;

1. 4. In the case of an applicant who is an

eligible child, he has reached age twenty-five (25), except that the applicant may receive such grant assistance through the completion of the semester or similar grading period in which he reaches his twenty-fifth year; or

1. 5. In the case of an applicant who is an

eligible spouse survivor, the fifth anniversary after the veteran’s death, except that the applicant may receive such grant assistance through the completion of the semester or similar grading period in which the anniversary occurs.

1. (3) Responsibilities of Institutions of Postsecondary Education. Institutions participating in the grant must meet the requirements set forth in 6 CSR 10-2.140, Institutional Eligibility for Student Participation.

2. (4) Application and Evaluation Policy.

   1. (A) An application for grant assistance under the tuition grant program shall be made annually by the eligible survivor on the form prescribed by the CBHE.
   2. (B) Completed tuition grant applications must be received by the MDHE on or before the application deadline that is established annually in the application materials by the CBHE to be considered for tuition grants.
   3. (C) Completed tuition grant applications received after the annual deadline established by the CBHE will be awarded provided program funds are available, based on a review by the MDHE.

3. (5) Award Policy.

   1. (A) The maximum tuition grant amount for each survivor per academic year shall be the lesser of the actual tuition charged at an approved institution where the eligible survivor is enrolled or accepted for full-time enrollment; or the average amount of tuition charged a Missouri undergraduate resident enrolled full-time in the same class level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and in the same academic major of the eligible survivor at the institutions identified in section 174.020, RSMo.
   2. (B) The total eligible survivor’s tuition grant and similar program funds the survivor is eligible for and receives shall not exceed the total cost of tuition charged by the approved institution for full-time enrollment.
   3. (C) An eligible survivor receiving a grant under the tuition grant program shall have made satisfactory academic progress as defined by the approved institution in order to be eligible for a subsequent award under the tuition grant program.
   4. (D) Award amounts will be calculated and issued for each semester of enrollment in a given academic year and will be disbursed to the approved institution.
   5. (E) Tuition grants will not be awarded for periods of enrollment during the summer term(s).
   6. (F) Within the amounts appropriated for tuition grant awards, the CBHE shall award up to twelve (12) grants annually to eligible survivors to attend an approved institution.
   7. (G) Eligible renewal recipients shall have priority in the awarding of tuition grants. If sufficient grant funds are unavailable to award all eligible renewal recipients, grant funds shall be awarded in the following order: fifth-, fourth-, third-, and second-year students as defined by the approved institution.
   8. (H) Eligible survivors who qualify as initial recipients under the provisions of this rule each year of the grant program shall be awarded based on the availability of grant funds.
   9. (I) If sufficient tuition grant funds are unavailable to award to initial recipients, tuition grants will be awarded based on the earliest date the completed grant applications are received by the CBHE until all grant funds have been expended.
   10. (J) Eligible survivors who apply for a tuition grant but are not awarded a grant due to insufficient grant funds shall be put on an eligibility waiting list. The eligibility status of these eligible survivors will be extended to the following academic year and will be considered for a tuition grant in accordance with the criteria in subsections (5)(F)–(I) of this rule.
   11. (K) A survivor who changes his approved institution choice prior to the beginning of the first day of classes or who transfers from one

4. (1) approved institution to another must notify the CBHE. Failure to notify the CBHE may result in loss of the award.

   1. (L) Award notifications will be sent to the eligible survivors by the CBHE once the applications have been approved and the grants have been determined. Notification of grants will also be sent to the student financial aid office at the approved institution where the student plans to or has enrolled.
   2. (M) The survivor’s grant will be sent to the approved institution to be endorsed by the student. The institution shall retain the portion of the award that the student owes for expenses and promptly give the applicant any remaining funds.
5. (6) Information Sharing Policy. All information on an individual’s survivor grant application will be shared with the financial aid office of the institution to which the individual has applied or is attending to permit verification of data submitted. Information may be shared with federal financial aid offices if necessary to verify data furnished by the state or federal governments as provided for in the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. section 552a.

AUTHORITY: section 173.236, RSMo 2000. Original rule filed April 5, 1993, effective Sept. 9, 1993. Amended: Filed Feb. 20, 2009, effective Aug. 30, 2009. *Original authority: 173.236, RSMo 1991.