Section 7C. Notwithstanding the provisions of section twenty-seven C of chapter twenty-nine, or of any other general or special law to the contrary, a town where a person resides who is admitted to the school of another town under section seven shall pay a tuition fee to be fixed by the commissioner under the direction of the state board, and in default of payment shall be liable therefor in contract to such other town. If an approved vocational school established by a regional school district or a public independent vocational school accepts a student who resides in a town, other than a member town of said district, which does not maintain such a vocational school, the town in which such student resides shall pay a tuition fee to be fixed by the regional district school committee or by the board of trustees of a public independent vocational school and approved by the commissioner under the direction of the state board; provided, however, that a town shall not be required to pay any portion of the tuition of any student residing therein who is enrolled in a post-secondary vocational program.

Tuition shall be paid in two equal installments in each school year of attendance, one in January and one in June, or on a pro-rated monthly basis if a nonresident student fails to apply for his first year of admission on or before April first of the preceding school year. The commissioner may direct that the resident community’s tuition payment for said first year be paid in full in July of the fiscal year after the student completes his first year of nonresident attendance including the penalties that the commissioner may determine.

No tuition shall be payable under this section with respect to a student who has satisfactorily complete the twelfth grade or courses equivalent thereto and whose personal income exceeds eighteen thousand dollars, said amount to be adjusted periodically as recommended by the commissioner of education.