TITLE XV
EDUCATION

CHAPTER 187-A
STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Finances

Section 187-A:20-b

    187-A:20-b Tuition Waiver for Children in State Foster Care or Guardianship or Guardianship After Being in State Foster Care. –
I. An eligible individual who enrolls full-time or part-time, with the approval of the division for children, youth and families, in a program leading to a certificate, associate, or bachelor degree at any public postsecondary institution within the state shall not be required to pay tuition or mandatory fees for attendance at such institution.
II. In this section, an eligible individual is a person who is less than 26 years of age and who is or was:
(a) In state foster care for the immediate 6-month period prior to his or her 18th birthday;
(b) In state guardianship or custody at the time of his or her 18th birthday;
(c) In guardianship, after being in state foster care or guardianship, at the time of their 18th birthday;
(d) In placement out-of-state, through the interstate compact for the placement of children, at the time of their 18th birthday;
(e) Adopted while in state guardianship or adopted from the care, custody, and control of the department following a surrender or termination of parental rights; or
(f) In an out-of-home placement under the supervision of the division for juvenile justice services at the time of his or her 18th birthday.
III. (a) Eligible individuals interested in a tuition waiver shall annually apply on forms provided and within the deadlines established by the university system of New Hampshire and the community college system of New Hampshire for their respective institutions. In any year, no more than 70 tuition waivers shall be granted by the university and community college systems of New Hampshire. Of these 70 tuition waivers, 35 shall be allocated to the university system and 35 shall be allocated to the community college system. The university system of New Hampshire and the community college system of New Hampshire shall have the authority to develop eligibility criteria for their respective institutions designed to give the children with the greatest financial need first priority in the tuition waiver program. Such eligibility criteria shall also include provisions for continuing eligibility based on continued full-time or part-time, with the approval of the division for children, youth and families, enrollment and satisfactory academic progress as defined by the institution.
(b) Beginning November 1, 2008, and no later than November 1 each year thereafter, the division of children, youth, and families shall submit a report to the health and human services oversight committee, established in RSA 126-A:13, and the house children and family law committee, or their successor committees, detailing the status of the tuition waiver program.
IV. An eligible individual may also apply for a room and board scholarship under the provisions of RSA 187-A:20-a, II without having to comply with the provisions of RSA 187-A:20-a, I.

Source. 2011, 224:131. 2013, 164:4, eff. June 28, 2013. 2019, 326:6, 7, eff. Aug. 16, 2019. 2020, 34:20, 21, eff. July 1, 2021. 2023, 79:588, eff. July 1, 2023.