§ 49-4-938 — Helping Heroes Act of 2008

(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Helping Heroes Act of 2008." (b) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "veteran" means a former member of the United States armed forces or a former or current member of a reserve or Tennessee National Guard unit who was called into active military service of the United States, as defined in § 58-1-102 . (c) To be eligible for a helping heroes grant, a veteran shall: (1) Have received an honorable discharge; (2) Have been a resident of this state, as classified pursuant to § 49-8-104 ; (3) Have been awarded: (A) The Iraq campaign medal; (B) The Afghanistan campaign medal; (C) On or after September 11, 2001, the global war on terrorism expeditionary medal; or (D) A service expeditionary medal identified in rules and regulations promulgated by TSAC; (4) Not be ineligible for a grant under § 49-4-904 ; (5) Be admitted to, and enroll in, an eligible program of study at an eligible postsecondary institution seeking an associate or baccalaureate degree; (6) Have not received a baccalaureate degree; and (7) Make application for a helping heroes grant for any semester in which the veteran is enrolled in six (6) or more semester hours. (d) A veteran who qualifies for a helping heroes grant under this section is not required to meet any academic standard at the time of initial enrollment in an eligible postsecondary institution to be eligible to receive the grant. A veteran may continue to be eligible to receive the grant by maintaining satisfactory academic progress as determined by the eligible postsecondary institution attended. (e) A student who is enrolled in at least six (6) semester hours in a semester is eligible for a helping heroes grant. If a student is enrolled in twelve (12) or more semester hours, then the student receives the full amount of the grant as provided in subsection (f). If a student is enrolled in six (6) to eleven (11) semester hours, then the student receives one-half (1/2) of the full grant. A student enrolled in fewer than six (6) semester hours in a semester is not eligible for the grant for that semester, but may subsequently be eligible for the grant in a semester in which the student is enrolled in at least six (6) semester hours if the student meets all other eligibility requirements during that semester. (f) Subject to the amounts appropriated by the general assembly and any law relating to a shortfall in funds available for postsecondary financial assistance from the net proceeds of the state lottery, a helping heroes grant awarded to a student shall be determined in accordance with § 4-51-111 and shall be set in the general appropriations act. (g) A student may receive a helping heroes grant for a maximum of eight (8) semesters. In calculating the total number of semesters a student may receive a helping heroes grant, semesters for which a student receives a helping heroes grant and in which the student successfully completes six (6) to eleven (11) semester hours shall count as one-half (1/2) semester in the total. (h) A helping heroes grant shall be awarded in addition to any other financial aid for which the recipient veteran qualifies. (i) Helping heroes grants shall not be awarded for any semester prior to fall semester 2008. (j) The comptroller of the treasury, through the comptroller's office of research and education accountability, shall review and study the Tennessee helping heroes scholarship program to determine the effectiveness of the program in educating veterans. The study shall be done in the fifth year of the program and every four (4) years thereafter. The comptroller of the treasury shall report the findings and conclusions of the study to the speakers of the senate and house of representatives and the chairs of the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives.

Legislative History

Amended by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1107, s 19, eff. 7/1/2022. Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 368, s 2, eff. 7/1/2021. Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 368, s 1, eff. 7/1/2021. Amended by 2020 Tenn. Acts, ch. 794, Secs.s 54, s 55, s 56, s 57 eff. 8/1/2020. Amended by 2020 Tenn. Acts, ch. 794, s 53, eff. 8/1/2020. Acts 2008 , ch. 1142, § 15; 2009 , ch. 501, §§ 1, 2.