[Repealed effective 6/30/2025]

(a) The Tennessee Support, Training, and Renewing Opportunity for National Guardsmen (STRONG) program, referred to as the “program,” shall be established under the authority of the adjutant general to provide tuition reimbursement to an educational institution on behalf of eligible members of the Tennessee national guard. Member eligibility for the program shall be determined pursuant to § 49-4-1005.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 49-4-1004

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Educational institution: means any public university, college, community college, college of applied technology, or any private college or university that is regionally accredited and has its primary campus domiciled in this state. See Tennessee Code 49-4-1003
  • Educational program: means a program offered by an educational institution through which a student can earn a certificate or diploma, but does not mean a doctoral program. See Tennessee Code 49-4-1003
  • Member: means an active member of a federally recognized unit of the Tennessee national guard who is maintaining satisfactory membership as defined by regulations of the department of the United States army and the department of the United States air force. See Tennessee Code 49-4-1003
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Tennessee national guard: means the federally recognized units of the Tennessee army and air national guard. See Tennessee Code 49-4-1003
  • Tuition: means the total semester, quarter, or classroom hour cost of instruction delineated in the catalog of an educational institution, including all mandatory fees. See Tennessee Code 49-4-1003
(b) Upon successful application by the eligible member attending a public educational institution, the department of military shall pay the educational institution an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the maximum resident in-state tuition charged by the institution attended for the educational program to which the member successfully applied, less all other state or federal financial assistance as described in § 49-4-1005. Such financial assistance must be credited first to the member’s tuition, subject to § 49-4-1005.
(c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), for members attending a private two-year college the amount paid is the average cost of tuition at the public two-year postsecondary institutions, as determined by the Tennessee higher education commission and Tennessee student assistance corporation, less all other financial assistance received by the member. For members attending a private four-year college or university the amount paid is the average cost of tuition at the public four-year universities, as determined by the Tennessee higher education commission and Tennessee student assistance corporation, less all other financial assistance received by the member. Such financial assistance must be credited first to the amount of the average tuition, subject to § 49-4-1005.
(d) The adjutant general is authorized to promulgate rules, in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, to effectuate the purposes of the program.
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