Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 131 - MILITARY DEPARTMENT › Division 01 - State Education and Incentives Branch › Rule 131.01.23-001 - Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver Program

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
Title 6.
Education
Chapter XVIII.
Arkansas National Guard,
			 Department of Military
Part 530.
Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver Program
Codification Notes.
This part as promulgated prior
				to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules of 2024 provided as follows:
				"
Summary.
This rule implements Act 471 of the 91st General
				Assembly, Act 535 of the 92nd General Assembly, and Acts 76 and 133 of the 93rd
				General Assembly, and Act 275 of the 94th General
				Assembly; establishes rules for the eligibility of soldiers and airmen; defines
				the purpose of the Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver Program; defines
				necessary responsibilities of the program; and sets forth entitlement
				criteria.
Applicability.
This rule applies to all active
				members of the Arkansas Army and Air National Guard as defined in Arkansas Code
				Title 6, Chapter 60, Subchapter 2.
General.
In this rule, the words "soldier" or
				"soldiers" and " airman" or "airmen" are intended to include both masculine and
				feminine gender unless specifically stated otherwise.
Distribution.
This publication is available for
				both Arkansas Army and Air National Guard, Arkansas Division of Higher
				Education, all in-state accredited institutions of higher education, and the
				general public."
Subpart 1.
Generally
6 CAR § 530-101. Purpose.
This part establishes policy, procedure, and eligibility
				requirements for administration of the Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver
				Program.
Authority.
Arkansas Code §
												6-60-214.
6 CAR § 530-102. Definitions.
As used in this part:
(1) "Education and Incentives Branch" means
			 the Arkansas Army National Guard Education and Incentives Branch, which
			 facilitates processing of both Army and Air National Guard requests after
			 service component verification;
(2)
			 "Soldier" or "soldiers" means an active member or members of the Arkansas Army
			 National Guard;
(3) "Airman" or
			 "Airmen" -means an active member or members of the Arkansas Air National
			 Guard.
(4) "Initial active duty
			 training" means completion of basic training or credit for a basic course
			 through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps;
(5) "Institution of higher education" means
			 any state-supported public institution;
Authority.
Arkansas Code §
												6-60-214.
6 CAR § 530-103. Entitlements.
(a) The Arkansas National Guard Tuition
			 Waiver, as established by Act 2017, No. 471, as amended by Acts 2019, No. 535,
			 and Acts 2021, Nos. 76 and 133, and Acts 2023, No. 275, located in Arkansas
			 Code §
												6-60-214, allows all eligible
			 soldiers and airmen (see 6 CAR § 530-201 et seq.) to attend a
			 state-supported institution of higher education tuition-free.
(b) This benefit will waive tuition for a
			 maximum of one hundred twenty (120) semester credit hours.
(c) The Arkansas National Guard Tuition
			 Waiver can only be used to obtain an undergraduate degree, up to a bachelor's,
			 and cannot be used by soldiers and airmen who have previously been awarded a
			 bachelor's degree.
(d) The cost of
			 a soldier's or airman's mandatory fees charged by an institution of higher
			 education that the soldier or airman is attending may be paid for with
			 available funds allocated by the Division of Higher Education for the
			 tuition-free program.
(e) Payment
			 of mandatory fees, if any, will not exceed actual cost of mandatory
			 fees.
Authority.
Arkansas Code §
												6-60-214.
6 CAR § 530-104. Policy.
In an effort to improve necessary strength and readiness levels
				in the Arkansas National Guard, the Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver
				is:
(1) Authorized under state law as
			 a benefit for qualifying soldiers and airmen; and
(2) Based on eligibility criteria detailed in
			 Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 60, Subchapter 2, this rule, and by the Division
			 of Higher Education.
Authority.
Arkansas Code §
												6-60-214.
6 CAR § 530-105. Responsibilities.
(a) The Division of Higher Education is
			 responsible for:
(1) Coordinating with the
			 Arkansas National Guard regarding rule changes or modifications;
(2) Administering receipt and disbursement of
			 funds to the institutions and maintaining fiscal records of the Arkansas
			 National Guard Tuition Waiver;
(3)
			 Verifying the soldier or airman has submitted the Free Application for Federal
			 Student Aid and the Arkansas Scholarship Application Management
			 System;
(4) Approving or denying
			 Scholarship Application Management System Financial Aid applications and
			 submitting results to the:
(A) Arkansas Army
			 National Guard Education and Incentives Branch;
(B) Institution; and
(C) Soldier or airman;
(5) Providing the Arkansas National Guard
			 with eligibility verification for Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver
			 criteria as outlined in 6 CAR § 530-201 et seq.;
(6) Defining "mandatory fees"; and
(7) Determining the amount of funds available
			 and the allocation method to pay mandatory fees.
(b) The institution of higher education is
			 responsible for:
(1) The institution's
			 Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver representative will serve as the liaison
			 between the:
(A) Respective
			 institution;
(B) Education Services
			 Officer; and
(C)
			 Division;
(2) Verifying
			 the soldier or airman is considered by the institution to be in "good standing"
			 and meeting the requirements of satisfactory academic progress as defined in
			 the institution's policies;
(3)
			 Verifying the soldier or airman:
(A) Is
			 enrolled in a program of study that leads to an undergraduate degree;
			 and
(B) Does not already possess a
			 bachelor's degree;
(4)
			 Verifying the soldier or airman has applied for institutional grants and
			 scholarships applicable to the soldier's or airman's term and major;
(5) Notifying the division of the application
			 close date and applicable term for institutional grants and
			 scholarships;
(6) Notifying the
			 division of the soldier's or airman's current date of acceptance as a student
			 at the institution;
(7) Notifying
			 the division regarding the status of eligibility and application
			 verification;
(8) Providing to the
			 division a roster of all hours and dollars attributed to this program as well
			 as student completion status at the conclusion of each semester;
(9) Informing the division if the soldier's
			 or airman's academic status changes; and
(10) Applying the Arkansas National Guard
			 Tuition Waiver to student accounts in accordance with the sequence or sequences
			 established in this part.
(c) The Adjutant General is responsible for:
(1) Coordinating with the division in
			 promulgating rules for the implementation of the Arkansas National Guard
			 Tuition Waiver, including without limitation rules for the eligibility of
			 soldiers and airmen; and
(2)
(A) Making final decision regarding
			 recoupment of all benefits paid on the soldier's or airman's behalf for reasons
			 including but not limited to:
(i) Absence
			 without leave;
(ii) Substance abuse
			 violations; or
(iii) Any other
			 serious misconduct.
(B)
			 See 6 CAR § 530-306.
(d) Education and Incentives Branch is
			 responsible for:
(1) Monitoring and verifying
			 eligibility status of participating soldiers for the Arkansas Army National
			 Guard;
(2) Receiving eligibility
			 verification data from the Arkansas Air National Guard and processing
			 applications of participating airmen in accordance with this part;
(3) Maintaining records or databases or both
			 and serving as point of contact for verification and discrepancies for
			 institutions and the division;
(4)
			 Providing the division with a roster of all soldiers and airmen requesting
			 Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver for the term;
(5) Reviewing eligibility verification
			 rosters from the division and providing the division with final Arkansas
			 National Guard Tuition Waiver eligibility determinations;
(6) Providing notification of Arkansas
			 National Guard Tuition Waiver ineligibility and exception to policy request
			 procedures to disqualified applicants;
(7) Providing notification of exception to
			 policy request determination to the division and the soldier or airman;
			 and
(8) Educating soldiers and
			 airmen on the process established by the division regarding mandatory
			 fees.
(e) The Arkansas
			 Army National Guard Education Services Officer is responsible for:
(1) Serving as the Adjutant General's
			 delegated proponent for the Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver;
(2) Coordinating policy changes with the
			 division;
(3) Coordinating with the
			 division, the institution, and the soldier or airman to resolve any exception
			 to policy requests or grievances;
(4) Processing exception to policy requests
			 in accordance with 6 CAR § 530-301 et seq.; and
(5) Rendering final approval or denial of any
			 soldier's or airman's request for an exception to policy.
(f) The Arkansas Air National Guard
			 representative or representatives are responsible for:
(1) Working directly with the Education and
			 Incentives Branch and Education Services Officer in executing and administering
			 Arkansas National Guard Tuition Waiver for the Air National Guard;
			 and
(2) Maintaining records or
			 databases or both and serving as point of contact for verification and
			 discrepancies for institutions and the division.
(g) The soldier or airman is responsible for:
(1) Meeting and maintaining eligibility
			 criteria (see 6 CAR § 530-201 et seq.) and submitting an application (see
			 6 CAR § 530-301 et seq.) before the deadline date each semester;
(2) Maintaining eligibility criteria
			 established by the institution in which they are enrolled, the Arkansas
			 National Guard, and the division and otherwise successfully completing the
			 semester and all hours for which the tuition waiver is awarded;
(3) Remaining in "good standing" with the
			 institution in which they attend, as defined by that institution;
(4) Achieving and maintaining "satisfactory
			 academic progress" within their degree program, as defined by that institution;
			 and
(5)
(A) If denied for the Arkansas National Guard
			 Tuition Waiver, the soldier or airman may request an exception to policy
			 through the Education Services Officer if they feel they have extenuating
			 circumstances that were beyond their control or unavoidable.
(B) The exception to policy must be:
(i) Requested within thirty (30) calendar
			 days of denial; and
(ii) Processed
			 in accordance with 6 CAR § 530-301 et seq.
Authority.
Arkansas Code §
												6-60-214.