§ 2537. Armed Services Scholarships

(a) It shall be the policy of the State of Vermont to provide scholarships to be known as the Armed Services Scholarships for education beyond high school for:

(1) Children and spouses of members in good standing of the Vermont National Guard who since 1955 have been killed, or who since January 1, 2001 have died, while on active or inactive duty in accordance with specifications herewith.

(2) Children and spouses of members in good standing of the active Reserve Forces of the United States who since January 1, 2001 have died while on active or inactive duty and who were Vermont residents at the time of death.

(3) Children and spouses of members of the active Armed Forces of the United States who since January 1, 2001 have died while on active duty and who, at the time of death, were either Vermont residents, nonresident members of the Vermont National Guard who were mobilized to active duty, or nonresident active Reserve Force members of a Vermont-based reserve unit who were mobilized to active duty. A child or spouse of a deceased nonresident member of the active Reserve Forces shall be ineligible for an Armed Services Scholarship if he or she is eligible for a death benefit from the last state of residence of the deceased parent or spouse, that helps finance attendance at a postsecondary institution in that state.

(b) Definitions:

(1) “Vermont National Guard” as used in this section will be deemed to include Vermont Army National Guard and Vermont Air National Guard.

(2) “Active duty for Vermont National Guard and for active Reserve Forces” means full-time duty in the active military service of the United States and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the secretary of the military department concerned.

(3) “Inactive duty” means training performed by members of a reserve component while not on active duty and includes unit training assemblies, training periods, military flight periods, and other equivalent duty and while on State duty on order of the Governor or the Governor’s representative.

(4) “Armed Forces of the United States” means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

(5) “Child” means a natural or adoptive child of a member of the Vermont National Guard or Armed Forces, and includes a stepchild. (Added 1967, No. 199, § 1; amended 1973, No. 233 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 4, 1974; 2003, No. 21, § 1; 2003, No. 127 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2011, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 7.)