1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to higher education; providing certain 
  1.3             tuition benefits to veterans of the war in Iraq; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [TUITION BENEFITS; IRAQ WAR VETERANS.] 
  1.7      A veteran who served in the 2003 war in Iraq and who is a 
  1.8   Minnesota resident is eligible to attend the University of 
  1.9   Minnesota or a college or university of the Minnesota state 
  1.10  colleges and universities as an undergraduate at a tuition rate 
  1.11  that is 50 percent less than the resident tuition rate for the 
  1.12  institution for a maximum of eight semesters or the equivalent 
  1.13  enrollment period.  To be eligible for the tuition reduction, 
  1.14  the veteran must enroll within 18 months of the date of 
  1.15  discharge.  Tuition reductions under this section must not be 
  1.16  considered in calculating eligibility or awards for state grants 
  1.17  under Minnesota Statutes, sections 136A.095 to 136A.121 or 
  1.18  work-study grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.231.  
  1.19  Benefits under this section are in addition to any postsecondary 
  1.20  benefits the veteran may have under the GI Montgomery bill or 
  1.21  under Minnesota Statutes, section 192.501, subdivision 2. 
  1.22     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.23     (a) $....... for fiscal year 2004, and $....... for fiscal 
  1.24  year 2005, are appropriated from the general fund to the board 
  1.25  of regents of the University of Minnesota for tuition reductions 
  2.1   under section 1. 
  2.2      (b) $....... for fiscal year 2004, and $....... for fiscal 
  2.3   year 2005, are appropriated from the general fund to the board 
  2.4   of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and universities for 
  2.5   tuition reductions under section 1.