Section 191/2. Each surviving child of a parent who died as result of injuries sustained during active and full-time military service as a member of the armed forces of the United States or national guard, occurring after 1989, while outside the United States in an armed conflict or hostility, or while deployed in direct support of military activity in a zone of armed conflict or hostility, shall be entitled, upon admittance to a degree program of undergraduate studies at a public institution of higher education as provided in the first paragraph of section 5 to a full waiver for charges due for tuition, mandatory fees and room and board during the period of attendance, subject to any restrictions set forth in this section.

A waiver for room and board under this section shall only be allowed for any period that the child is enrolled as a full-time student at a qualifying public institution. No child shall receive a waiver under this section if he has been awarded a degree previously from a public or private college, university or other institution of higher learning or if, during his attendance at a qualifying public institution after receiving a waiver, he fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress or if the deceased parent was not a resident of the commonwealth at the time of entry or continuance into active and full-time military service.

A child who has received a waiver from a qualifying public institution under this section shall not be entitled to a waiver of charges due for more than 1 undergraduate degree program at the institution where the child is enrolled or at another qualifying public institution unless the waiver for such additional degree program has received the prior approval of the board of higher education. Notwithstanding the foregoing, approval by the board shall be not be required for a child who transfers to a different degree program for undergraduate studies at the institution where the child is currently enrolled or transfers to another degree program for undergraduate studies at another qualifying public institution, provided that the child is no longer enrolled in the previously undertaken degree program.

Consistent with the provisions of this section, the board of higher education may establish general guidelines and regulations for the application and administration of waiver benefits at qualifying public institutions of higher learning.

For the purposes of this section, ''child'' shall be without qualification or limitation as to the person's age.