FISCAL NOTE

Senate Bill 263 as introduced amends the Alabama National Guard Education Assistance Program (ANGEAP) to: (1) clarify that ANGEAP funds may be used to pay the costs of tuition and fees of active members of the Alabama National Guard while enrolled in a high school dual enrollment program at a community or technical college; (2) clarify that payments under the ANGEAP shall not exceed 100% of qualified tuition and fees; (3) provide that payments to private institutions of higher education shall not exceed the tuition and fee rates for the state-supported public institution with the highest tuition and instructional fee rates; (4) clarify that education benefits shall be applied in a manner to maximize all of a member's education assistance benefits; (5) provide that any Alabama National Guard member that is disqualified from serving due solely to medical reasons with a Veteran's Administration disability rating of at least 40% is exempt from repaying ANGEAP benefits; and (6) require a member receiving ANGEAP benefits to sign a promissory note detailing provisions for the collection and recoupment of benefits in the event the member is disqualified or become ineligible to continue receiving benefits. The provisions of this bill would increase the obligations of the Education Trust Fund, by an undetermined amount, dependent on the number of Alabama National Guard members that seek tuition reimbursement for attending a private institution of higher education in the state under the expanded provisions of this bill, which provides that the payments for these students shall not exceed the rate of the state supported public institutions with the highest tuition and instruction fee rates, and the extent to which ANGEAP funds would be used to maximize all of a member's education assistance benefit.