§31-6-5. Educational benefits for spouses of deceased or totally disabled veterans or prisoners of war.

(a) Any wife or husband or unmarried widow or widower whose spouse, during their marriage:

(1) Was killed or died in the line of duty or is listed as missing in action or is/was a prisoner of war while serving as a member of the armed forces;

(2) Died from a disability incurred from military service; or

(3) Is 100 percent permanently and totally disabled, whose permanent and total disabilities were service-connected;

shall be entitled to training in any Alabama state-supported college or university for a period of five standard academic years, not to exceed 45 months or to training for the equivalent of 45 months if enrolled part-time or to training in a prescribed course in a state-supported trade school, and if such course does not require the full 45 months, then training for the remainder of such 45 months' entitlement may be taken at a state-supported college or university only, without the payment of any tuition, fees, or books, whatsoever. One change of program will be allowed without counseling. All training received under this section must be completed within eight years after the beginning date of the course. This section shall not apply to the spouse of any such deceased serviceman or veteran who has remarried prior to applying for and obtaining educational benefits under this section, and should any such spouse of such deceased serviceman or veteran remarry during the time he or she is in attendance upon any of the schools, colleges, or universities mentioned in this section, then he or she shall pay tuition and fees for the course of study or attendance upon such school, college, or university from the time of the remarriage. The benefits provided under this section shall be in addition to federal government benefits.

(b) Except as provided in Section 31-6-11(e), the educational benefits provided by this section to wives, husbands, and unmarried widows or widowers making application for benefits for the first time beginning with the fall term of the 2014-2015 academic year, and thereafter, shall be limited to undergraduate courses of study only, and the value of tuition paid shall be limited to the in-state tuition rate of the Alabama state-supported college or university attended.

(Acts 1951, No. 47, p. 259, §2; Acts 1951, No. 975, p. 1648; Acts 1957, No. 617, p. 883, §2; Acts 1966, Ex. Sess., No. 206, p. 250, §2; Acts 1971, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 195, p. 4455, §2; Acts 1973, No. 1275, p. 2177, §1; Acts 1978, No. 585, p. 678; Acts 1985, No. 85-758, p. 1262, §1; Act 2009-559, p. 1606, §1; Act 2014-177, §1.)