(a) Subject to the provisions of § 10a-26, the Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges shall fix fees for tuition at the regional community-technical colleges and shall fix fees for such other purposes as the board deems necessary at the regional community-technical colleges, and may make refunds to the same.

(b) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall establish and administer a fund to be known as the Regional Community-Technical Colleges Operating Fund. Appropriations from general revenues of the state and, upon request by the board and with an annual review and approval by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the amount of the appropriations for fringe benefits and workers’ compensation applicable to the regional community-technical colleges pursuant to subsection (a) of § 4-73, shall be transferred from the Comptroller, and all tuition revenue received by the regional community-technical colleges in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be deposited in said fund. Income from student fees or related charges; the proceeds of auxiliary activities and business enterprises, gifts and donations; federal funds and grants for purposes other than research, and all receipts derived from the conduct by the colleges of their education extension programs and summer school sessions shall be credited to said fund but shall be allocated to the central office and institutional operating accounts which shall be established and maintained for the central office and each community-technical college. If the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management disapproves such transfer, the secretary may require the amount of the appropriation for operating expenses to be used for personal services and fringe benefits to be excluded from said fund. The State Treasurer shall review and approve the transfer prior to such request by the board. The board shall establish an equitable policy, in accordance with § 10a-8, for allocation of appropriations from general revenues of the state, fringe benefits transferred from the Comptroller and tuition revenue deposited in the Regional Community-Technical Colleges Operating Fund. At the beginning of each quarter of the fiscal year, the board shall allocate and transfer, in accordance with said policy, moneys for expenditure in such institutional operating accounts, exclusive of amounts retained for central office operations and reasonable reserves for future distribution. All costs of waiving or remitting tuition pursuant to subsection (f) of this section shall be charged to the Regional Community-Technical Colleges Operating Fund. Repairs, alterations or additions to facilities supported by operating funds and costing one million dollars or more shall require the approval of the General Assembly, or when the General Assembly is not in session, of the Finance Advisory Committee. Any balance of receipts above expenditures shall remain in said fund, except such sums as may be required for deposit into a debt service fund or the General Fund for further payment by the Treasurer of debt service on general obligation bonds of the state issued for purposes of the regional community-technical colleges.

(c) Commencing December 1, 1984, and thereafter not later than sixty days after the close of each quarter, the board of trustees shall submit to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, the Office of Higher Education and the Office of Policy and Management a report on the actual expenditures of the Regional Community-Technical Colleges Operating Fund.

(d) Said board of trustees shall waive the payment of tuition at any of the regional community-technical colleges (1) for any dependent child of a person whom the armed forces of the United States has declared to be missing in action or to have been a prisoner of war while serving in such armed forces after January 1, 1960, which child has been accepted for admission to such institution and is a resident of the state at the time such child is accepted for admission to such institution, (2) subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, for any veteran, as defined in § 27-103, who performed service in time of war, as defined in § 27-103, except that for purposes of this subsection, “service in time of war” shall not include time spent in attendance at a military service academy, which veteran has been accepted for admission to such institution and is domiciled in this state at the time such veteran is accepted for admission to such institution, (3) for any resident of the state sixty-two years of age or older, provided, at the end of the regular registration period, there are enrolled in the course a sufficient number of students other than those residents eligible for waivers pursuant to this subdivision to offer the course in which such resident intends to enroll and there is space available in such course after accommodating all such students, (4) for any student attending the Connecticut State Police Academy who is enrolled in a law enforcement program at said academy offered in coordination with a regional community-technical college which accredits courses taken in such program, (5) for any active member of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who (A) has been certified by the Adjutant General or such Adjutant General’s designee as a member in good standing of the guard, and (B) is enrolled or accepted for admission to such institution on a full-time or part-time basis in an undergraduate degree-granting program, (6) for any dependent child of a (A) police officer, as defined in § 7-294a, or supernumerary or auxiliary police officer, (B) firefighter, as defined in § 7-323j, or member of a volunteer fire company, (C) municipal employee, or (D) state employee, as defined in § 5-154, killed in the line of duty, (7) for any resident of the state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a specified terrorist victim who was a resident of this state, (8) for any dependent child of a resident of the state who was killed in a multivehicle crash at or near the intersection of Routes 44 and 10 and Nod Road in Avon on July 29, 2005, and (9) for any resident of the state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a person who was killed in action while performing active military duty with the armed forces of the United States on or after September 11, 2001, and who was a resident of this state. If any person who receives a tuition waiver in accordance with the provisions of this subsection also receives educational reimbursement from an employer, such waiver shall be reduced by the amount of such educational reimbursement. Veterans and members of the National Guard described in subdivision (5) of this subsection shall be given the same status as students not receiving tuition waivers in registering for courses at regional community-technical colleges. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 10a-30, as used in this subsection, “domiciled in this state” includes domicile for less than one year.

(e) (1) If any veteran described in subsection (d) of this section has applied for federal educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, the board of trustees shall waive the payment of tuition at any of the regional community-technical colleges for such veteran in accordance with subdivision (2) of this subsection. If any such veteran certifies to said board that such veteran’s application for such federal educational assistance has been denied or withdrawn, said board of trustees shall waive the payment of tuition in accordance with subsection (d) of this section.

(2) (A) For purposes of this subdivision, “veteran tuition benefit” means the portion of federal educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 to be paid to a regional community-technical college on behalf of a veteran that represents payment for tuition. Such portion shall be calculated by multiplying (i) the total amount of such federal educational assistance to be paid to a regional community-technical college on behalf of such veteran by (ii) an amount obtained by dividing (I) the actual tuition charged by such college to such veteran by (II) the sum of the actual tuition and fees charged by such college to such veteran.

(B) Said board of trustees shall waive the payment of tuition in excess of the veteran tuition benefit at any of the regional community-technical colleges for such veteran.

(f) Said board shall set aside from its anticipated regional community-technical college tuition revenue, an amount not less than that required by said board’s tuition policy. Such funds shall be used to provide tuition waivers, tuition remissions, grants for educational expenses and student employment for residents enrolled in regional community-technical colleges as full or part-time matriculated students in a degree-granting program, or enrolled in a precollege remedial program, who demonstrate substantial financial need. Said board may also set aside from its anticipated tuition revenue an additional amount equal to one per cent of said tuition revenue for financial assistance for students who would not otherwise be eligible for financial assistance but who do have a financial need as determined by the college in accordance with this subsection. In determining such financial need, the college shall exclude the value of equity in the principal residence of the student’s parents or legal guardians, or in the student’s principal residence if the student is not considered to be a dependent of his parents or legal guardians and shall assess the earnings of a dependent student at the rate of thirty per cent.

(g) The Regional Community-Technical Colleges Operating Fund shall be reimbursed for the amount by which the tuition waivers granted under subsection (d) of this section exceed five per cent of tuition revenue through an annual state appropriation. The board of trustees shall request such an appropriation and said appropriation shall be based upon an estimate of tuition revenue loss using tuition rates in effect for the fiscal year in which such appropriation will apply.

(h) Said board of trustees shall allow any student who is a member of the armed forces called to active duty during any semester to enroll in any course for which such student had remitted tuition but which was not completed due to active duty status. Such course reenrollment shall be offered to any qualifying student for a period not exceeding four years after the date of release from active duty without additional tuition, student fee or related charge, except if such student has been fully reimbursed for the tuition, fees and charges for the course that was not completed.

(i) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall not assess or charge a graduation fee to any student enrolled in a regional community-technical college for the purpose of graduating from such regional community-technical college.