No tuition may be charged for a period of four school years by any state-supported college or university or any state-supported vocational or technical school for children of:

1. (1) firemen, both regularly employed and members of volunteer organized units, organized rescue squad members, members of the Civil Air Patrol, law enforcement officers, or corrections officers, as defined herein, including reserve and auxiliary units of counties or municipalities who become totally disabled or are killed in the line of duty on or after July 1, 1964;

2. (2) government employees who become totally disabled or are killed in the line of duty while working on state time on or after July 1, 1996, as a result of a criminal act committed against them which constitutes a felony under the laws of this State.

   The tuition authorized to be paid by this section applies only to undergraduate courses or curriculum and may be paid for a period not exceeding four years, regardless of the number of state-supported colleges, universities, or state-supported vocational or technical schools the child attends.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 22-71; 1968 (55) 2300; 1969 (56) 659; 1971 (57) 457, 481; 2000 Act No. 281, Section 1.