North Carolina SB 816: Child. of Wartime Vets Sch'ship Funds and Flex.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 816

Short Title: Child. of Wartime Vets Sch'ship Funds & Flex. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Brinson, McInnis, and Ford (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 22, 2026
*S816-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE CHILDREN OF WARTIME VETERANS 2
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND TO EXPAND FLEXIBILITY PROVIDED FOR THE 3
CHILDREN OF WARTIME VETERANS SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS PROGRAM TO 4
INCLUDE THE 2026-2027 ACADEMIC YEAR. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
7
PART I. FUNDS FOR RECIPIENTS OF THE CHILDREN OF WARTIME VETERANS 8
SCHOLARSHIP IN THE 2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR 9
SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors 10
of The University of North Carolina for the 2025-2026 fiscal year the sum of one million dollars 11
($1,000,000) in nonrecurring funds to be allocated to the State Education Assistance Authority 12
(Authority) to increase award amounts for recipients of scholarships for the children of wartime 13
veterans for the 2025-2026 academic year up to the full amounts permitted under Part 2 of Article 14
14 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes to the extent those award amounts were reduced by 15
the Secretary of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs pursuant to the award flexibility 16
provided in Part VI of S.L. 2025-72. If any of these funds remain after increasing award amounts 17
for scholarship recipients in accordance with this section, the Authority may use the remaining 18
funds to award additional scholarships for qualifying children of wartime veterans under Part 2 19
of Article 14 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes, beginning in the 2026-2027 academic 20
year. 21
22
PART II. FUNDS FOR ADDITIONAL AWARDS FOR THE CHILDREN OF WARTIME 23
VETERANS SCHOLARSHIP IN THE 2026-2027 ACADEMIC YEAR 24
SECTION 2.(a) Notwithstanding G.S. 143B-1226, for new applications for 25
scholarships for children of wartime veterans under Part 2 of Article 14 of Chapter 143B of the 26
General Statutes, the Secretary of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs may increase 27
the number of Class II and Class III scholarships awarded in the 2026-2027 academic year from 28
100 to 200 children in each class. 29
SECTION 2.(b) There is appropriated from the Escheat Fund to the Board of 30
Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in 31
recurring funds beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated to the State Education 32
Assistance Authority to support additional scholarships for qualifying children of wartime 33
veterans under Part 2 of Article 14 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes in accordance with 34
subsection (a) of this section. 35
SECTION 2.(c) This section becomes effective July 1, 2026. 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 816-First Edition
1
PART III. EXPAND EXISTING FLEXIBILITY FOR THE CHILDREN OF WARTIME 2
VETERANS SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS PROGRAM TO INCLUDE THE 2026-2027 3
ACADEMIC YEAR 4
SECTION 3. Section 6 of S.L. 2025-72 reads as rewritten: 5
"SECTION 6.(a) For purposes of subsection (b) of this section, the following definitions 6
shall apply: 7
(1) Authority. – The State Education Assistance Authority. 8
(2) Commission. – The Veterans' Affairs Commission of the Department. 9
(3) Department. – The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. 10
(4) Program. – The program administered by the Department to award scholarship 11
funds that is referred to as Scholarships for Children of Wartime Veterans. 12
(5) Scholarship funds. – Scholarship funds awarded to the child of a North 13
Carolina veteran under Part 2 of Article 14 of Chapter 143B of the General 14
Statutes. 15
(6) Secretary. – The Secretary of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. 16
"SECTION 6.(b) Notwithstanding Part 2 of Article 14 of Chapter 143B of the General 17
Statutes and any rules adopted or determinations made by the Veterans Affairs Commission, for 18
the 2024-2025 academic year and the 2025-2026 academic year, 2024-2025, 2025-2026, and 19
2026-2027 academic years, the following shall apply relating to the administration of scholarship 20
funds under the Program: 21
(1) Within funds available for the Program, the following shall be determined: 22
a. Due to the sacrifice of veterans for the State of North Carolina and the 23
unique needs and challenges of the children of wartime veterans to 24
ensure they have the greatest opportunities to reach their higher 25
education attainment goals, if there are additional eligible recipients, 26
other than those identified by the Department under this Program, who 27
are attending public colleges and universities of the State who may 28
qualify to have their scholarships funded with monies from the Escheat 29
Fund, the Authority, after consultation with the Secretary, may fund 30
those scholarships with monies from the Esch