§16-33-4. Certain children may attend state institutions or trade schools without payment of fees or tuition; provision of textbooks.

(a) Any child in a family where the head of the household is blind and the family income is not greater than 1.3 times the current poverty income level, as determined by federal poverty guidelines based upon the number of family members, may, without paying any instructional fees or tuition whatsoever, do either of the following:

(1) Attend any Alabama state institution of higher learning, college, or university for a period of four standard academic years of nine months each, not to exceed 36 months total.

(2) Take a prescribed course in any Alabama state trade school or technical college, for the length of the prescribed course of study of his or her choosing.

(b) Training under this section shall:

(1) Be initiated within two years after high school graduation, but in no case after the twenty-third birthday of the child.

(2) Be completed within five years after its initiation, excluding any delays caused by military service.

(3) Not extend beyond the thirtieth birthday of the child.

(c) Any child benefiting from this section shall be provided with all necessary textbooks for the length of his or her prescribed course of study. All costs of such textbooks shall be borne by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, which shall be entitled to an appropriation from the Education Trust Fund to cover all costs of providing the textbooks.

(d) The Department of Rehabilitation Services shall promulgate and implement administrative rules and regulations as necessary to make textbooks conveniently available to children who qualify for textbook benefits under this chapter.

(Acts 1966, Ex. Sess., No. 281, p. 422, §2; Acts 1978, No. 772, p. 1129, §1; Acts 1989, No. 89-708, p. 1415, §1; Act 2001-696, p. 1485, §1.)