(1) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the boards of trustees of the community and junior colleges shall adopt policies requiring the award of educational credits to any student who is enrolled in a public institution of higher learning, community or junior college, and is also a veteran, for courses that are part of the student’s military training or service, that meet the standards of the American Council on Education or equivalent standards for awarding academic credit, and that are determined by the academic department or appropriate faculty of the awarding institution to be equivalent in content or experience to courses at that institution. Credits shall be awarded in accordance with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges standards.
(2) Each board shall adopt the necessary rules, regulations and procedures to implement the provisions of this section, effective no later than the 2020-2021 academic year and continuing thereafter.