Public Act 195 of 1996, provides for the waiver of tuition at public community and junior colleges and state universities for the surviving spouse and children of Michigan police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. The program is intended to provide an educational benefit to the spouse and children of police officers and firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice for their communities and the citizens of Michigan.

Beginning with the academic year 1996/9, tuition will be waived for eligible survivors enrolled in classes leading to a certificate or undergraduate degree. Persons wishing to participate in this program must submit an application to the Department of State Police prior to the start of the academic year. The Act has specific eligibility requirements; therefore, potential applicants are encouraged to read this information carefully before applying.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible the person applying must be the spouse or child, natural or adopted, of a Michigan police officer or fire fighter, who was killed in the line of duty. A child must be less than age 21 at the time of death of the police officer or firefighter.

Further, the deceased police officer must have been a sheriff or sheriff deputy, village or township marshal, a police officer of any city, village, or township, an officer of the state police, or any other police officer trained and certified pursuant to the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards Act.

The deceased firefighter must have been a member, volunteer or paid, of a fire department or other organization that provides fire suppression or other fire-related services, of a city, township, village, or county, which is responsible for extinguishing fires. This does not include a person whose job description, duties, or responsibilities did not include direct involvement in fire suppression.

The death must have been the direct and proximate result of traumatic injury incurred in the line of duty. Traumatic injury is defined as a wound or condition of the body caused by external force, including, but not limited to, an injury inflicted by bullet, explosive, sharp instrument, blunt object, or other physical blow, fire smoke, chemical, electricity, climatic condition, infectious disease, radiation, or bacteria, but excluding injury resulting from stress, strain or occupational disease.

Tuition Waiver Requirements

Eligible surviving spouses and children must meet the following requirements:

Apply, qualify and be admitted full-time, part-time, or to summer school in a program leading to a certificate or degree at a Michigan public community college, junior college, or state university.

 

Be a legal resident of Michigan for 12 consecutive months preceding application. Dependents may use the parent’s residency status.

 

Provide satisfactory evidence to the Department of State Police that the applicant is an eligible child or surviving spouse of a police officer or firefighter killed in the line of duty.

 

To be eligible, the child must apply for the first time before the age of 21.

 

Be certified by the financial aid officer of the eligible college or university that the waiver is needed to meet education expenses. The child’s or surviving spouse's family income, excluding any income from death benefits attributable to the officer’s or fire fighter’s death, must be below 400% of the federal poverty level.

 

Maintain satisfactory academic progress for each enrolled term or semester.

 

Has not received a bachelor’s degree and received a tuition waiver for less than 124 semester hours or 180 term hours.

Application Procedure

Spouses and children of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty can access the application for participation in the tuition waiver program from this web site or you may request an application for participation in this tuition waiver program by calling or writing:

Survivor Tuition Program
Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards
Michigan Department of State Police
7426 North Canal Road
Lansing, Michigan 48913
(517) 322-6627
E-Mail MCOLES

2005-2006 School Year Application for Tuition Waiver 

Program Requirements & Instructions for Application   

2005-2006 School Year Renewal Application for Tuition Waiver 

Program Requirements & Instructions for Renewal Application 

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In addition, applicants must make application and enroll in a participating community college or state university. Applicants should apply for financial aid at the college or university by submitting the standard financial aid application used by the college or university.

Limits

The eligible college or university may waive tuition only for courses applicable toward a certificate or degree in the program in which the applicant is enrolled. Tuition may be waived for not more than 9 semesters or the equivalent in terms. Tuition may be waived only to the extent that the tuition is not covered or paid by any scholarship, trust fund, statutory benefit, or other source of tuition coverage.

The Department of State Police shall determine if the applicant is eligible for a tuition waiver based upon the application and supporting documentation submitted by the applicant and the requirements of the Act. The Department shall annually reimburse the college or university for the total amount of the waived tuition.