A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to allow the state board of community colleges to waive tuition and registration fees for certain Firefighters, EMS personnel, and rescue and lifesaving personnel whose permanent duty station is within North Carolina, for courses that support their organizations' training needs and are approved for this purpose by the State Board of Community Colleges.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115D‑5(b) is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(b)	In order to make instruction as accessible as possible to all citizens, the teaching of curricular courses and of noncurricular extension courses at convenient locations away from institution campuses as well as on campuses is authorized and shall be encouraged. A pro rata portion of the established regular tuition rate charged a full‑time student shall be charged a part‑time student taking any curriculum course. In lieu of any tuition charge, the State Board of Community Colleges shall establish a uniform registration fee, or a schedule of uniform registration fees, to be charged students enrolling in extension courses for which instruction is financed primarily from State funds. The State Board of Community Colleges may provide by general and uniform regulations for waiver of tuition and registration fees for the following:
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(2a)	Firefighters, EMS personnel, and rescue and lifesaving personnel whose permanent duty station is within North Carolina and whose departments have mutual aid agreements with one or more surrounding areas, for courses that support their organizations' training needs and are approved for this purpose by the State Board of Community Colleges.
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The State Board of Community Colleges shall not waive tuition and registration fees for other individuals."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 115D‑39(a1) reads as rewritten:
"(a1)	In addition, federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and rescue and lifesaving personnel whose permanent duty station is within North Carolina and who do not otherwise qualify for tuition waivers under G.S. 115D‑5(b)(2a) shall also be eligible for the State resident community college tuition rate for courses that support their organizations' training needs and are approved for this purpose by the State Board of Community Colleges."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.