187-A:17 Investments. The governor, the treasurer of the university system, and 3 members of the board of trustees, to be selected by the board of trustees, shall constitute a finance committee who may, except as provided in RSA 187-A:8, make such changes from time to time in the investment of the funds of the institutions of the university system as their interests, in the committee's judgment, may require.
187-A:18 Special Funds for Self-amortizing Projects. The trustees of the university system shall keep the income from each of the following specified facilities in a separate fund for each division or campus of the university system: housing facilities, dining halls and other food service facilities, student unions, and bookstores. From each such fund shall be paid the proportionate part of the annual interest on the state borrowing for the purpose of constructing any of the 4 specified facilities at the particular division or campus, and a like proportionate payment of installments of principal as the same become due until such time as all obligations incurred by the state for any of said 4 facilities at any division or campus have been met. All operating and maintenance expenses of the 4 specified facilities shall be paid from the applicable separate fund.
187-A:19 Free Tuition. The trustees of the university system shall furnish free tuition to indigent students, so far as practicable.
187-A:20 Tuition Waived. If a person is domiciled in this state while serving in or with the armed forces of the United States and is, after February 28, 1961, reported or listed as missing, or missing in action, or interned in a neutral country, or beleaguered, besieged or captured by the enemy during the South East Asian conflict, any child of such person, enrolled after August 16, 1981, in the university of New Hampshire, Plymouth state university, or Keene state college shall, so long as said person is so reported, listed, interned, beleaguered, besieged or captured, not be required to pay tuition for attendance at such institutions. Any person entitled to free tuition under this section shall apply to the board of trustees of the university system, and said board may require such proof as they may deem necessary in order for a person to qualify for free tuition under this section.
187-A:20-a Tuition Waived for Children of Certain Firefighters and Police Officers; Room and Board Scholarships.
I. A person who is a New Hampshire resident, who is under 25 years of age, and who enrolls in a program leading to a certificate, associate, or bachelor degree at any public postsecondary institution within the state shall not be required to pay tuition for attendance at such institution if he or she is the child of a firefighter or police officer who died while in performance of his or her duties, and whose death was found to be compensable pursuant to RSA 281-A.
II.
(a) Any person entitled to a waiver of tuition under this section may apply for a room and board scholarship while attending the institution, to the extent of available funds. The board of trustees of the university system of New Hampshire and the board of trustees of the community college system of New Hampshire shall have the authority to develop policies for their respective institutions relative to the development of criteria for awarding scholarships, development of scholarship application forms, application deadlines, scholarship amounts, provisions for continuing eligibility, and other procedures necessary to administer the room and board scholarships.
(b) There is hereby established in the office of the state treasurer a nonlapsing fund to be known as the room and board scholarship fund. The state treasurer shall invest the fund pursuant to RSA 6:8 and earnings shall be added to the fund. The fund shall be continually appropriated to the university system of New Hampshire for the purpose of providing room and board scholarships as provided in this section, and shall not be diverted or used for any other purpose. The board of trustees of the university system of New Hampshire and the board of trustees of the community college system of New Hampshire may apply for and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source to be used for the purpose of providing room and board scholarships as provided in this section.
III.
(a) There is hereby established in the office of the treasurer the chancellor's scholarship endowment trust fund which shall be kept distinct and separate from all other funds. The chancellor and trustees of the university system may seek and accept private donations, which shall be credited to the trust fund to provide room and board scholarships for persons who qualify for tuition waivers under this section.
(b) The state treasurer shall be the trustee of the trust fund established in this chapter and shall invest the trust fund in accordance with RSA 6:8. Any earnings on trust fund moneys shall be added to the trust fund.
(c) All moneys in the trust fund shall be nonlapsing and shall be continually appropriated to the board of trustees of the university system for purposes of providing room and board scholarships under this paragraph.
187-A:20-b Tuition Waiver for Children in State Foster Care or Guardianship.
I. An eligible individual who enrolls full-time in a program leading to a certificate, associate, or bachelor degree at any public postsecondary institution within the state shall not be required to pay tuition or fees for attendance at such institution.
II. In this section, an eligible individual is a person who is less than 23 years of age and who is or was:
(a) In state foster care for the immediate 6-month period prior to his or her 18th birthday;
(b) In state guardianship or custody at the time of his or her 18th birthday;
(c) Adopted while in state guardianship or adopted from the care, custody, and control of the department following a surrender of parental rights; or
(d) In an out-of-home placement under the supervision of the division for juvenile justice services at the time of his or her 18th birthday.
III.
(a) Eligible individuals interested in a tuition waiver shall annually apply on forms provided and within the deadlines established by the university system of New Hampshire and the community college system of New Hampshire for their respective institutions. No more than 15 tuition waivers per year shall be granted by the university system of New Hampshire and no more than 15 tuition waivers per year shall be granted by the community college system of New Hampshire. The university system of New Hampshire and the community college system of New Hampshire shall have the authority to develop eligibility criteria for their respective institutions designed to give the children with the greatest financial need first priority in the tuition waiver program. Such eligibility criteria shall also include provisions for continuing eligibility based on continued full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress as defined by the institution.
(b) Beginning November 1, 2008, and no later than November 1 each year thereafter, the division of children, youth, and families shall submit a report to the health and human services oversight committee, established in RSA 126-A:13, and the house children and family law committee, or their successor committees, detailing the status of the tuition waiver program.
IV. An eligible individual may also apply for a room and board scholarship under the provisions of RSA 187-A:20-a, II without having to comply with the provisions of RSA 187-A:20-a, I.
187-A:20-c Waver of Residency Requirement for In-State Tuition For Veterans. A veteran of the armed forces who establishes a residence in New Hampshire shall immediately after establishing such residence be eligible for in-state tuition rates when attending any institution in the university system of New Hampshire.
187-A:21 Other Income. The income received and due to the institutions of the university system from all other sources, including bequests, trusts, income from bequests and trusts, student fees and tuition charges, rents, sales, and any other income, from whatever source derived for the institutions of the university system, shall be retained by the treasurer of the university system and be used in such manner as the trustees may determine or as is provided by law or by the conditions incident to trusts, gifts, or bequests.
187-A:22 Reports.
I. The trustees shall file with the governor and council, by November 1 of each year, a report of the operations, progress and financial condition of the university system and its constituent institutions. They shall include in the report an account of improvements made. One copy thereof shall be transmitted to each college endowed under the act of Congress cited in RSA 187-A:5, I; one copy to the Secretary of the Interior; one copy to the legislative fiscal committee; one copy to the house education committee and one copy to the senate education committee.
187-A:23 Motor Vehicle Regulations. Other provisions of law notwithstanding, the university system of New Hampshire is hereby directed to adopt the provisions of the state manual of procedure relative to state-owned motor vehicles as promulgated by governor and council as may be amended. The annual report of motor vehicle operations shall also be filed in the same manner and in the same detail as that prescribed for all other state agencies. The university shall purchase compact cars consistent with the policy established for all state agencies.
187-A:24 John G. Winant Memorial Foundation. There is hereby established a charitable and educational foundation to be known as the John G. Winant memorial foundation. The purpose of said foundation shall be to administer a fund in memory of the late John G. Winant for aid to needy students at the university of New Hampshire, with special emphasis upon assistance to students majoring in economics and social welfare.
I. The trustees of the university system of New Hampshire and their successors are hereby constituted the trustees of the foundation. The trustees shall receive no compensation for their services to the foundation, except expenses reasonably incurred by them shall be paid from its funds.
II. The trustees may receive by gift, grant, devise or otherwise and may hold, possess and enjoy for the purposes of the foundation real and personal estate and shall likewise have the power to invest and reinvest its holdings of real or personal property according to the best judgment of the board of trustees. The income from any property real or personal held by said trustees under the provisions of this section shall be expended for charitable and educational purposes as set forth in this section.
187-A:25 Tax Exemption. The property of the university system of New Hampshire and each of its constituent institutions and divisions is exempt from taxation, as provided in RSA 72:23.
187-A:25-a Audit. The governor shall be a member ex officio of each audit committee appointed by the board of trustees. The governor may designate another member of the board of trustees to serve in the governor's place as a member of the audit committee. The board of trustees shall submit to the governor, for concurrence, the board's recommendation with respect to the selection of external auditors. The external auditors selected by the board of trustees shall render their report and findings to the board of trustees, to the governor, and to the legislative fiscal committee. Such auditors shall provide to the governor and to the legislative fiscal committee any information normally provided to the audit committee and shall respond to any request from the governor or from the legislative fiscal committee relative to the financial conditions, operations, and systems of the university that the board reviewed during its audit.
