A. Any current or former prisoner of war or person missing in action, as defined by the provisions of this section, and any dependent of a current or former prisoner of war or person missing in action, upon being duly accepted for enrollment into any state-supported institution of higher education of any type, or state-supported technical or vocational school, shall be allowed to obtain a bachelors degree, or certificate of completion, for so long as such former prisoner of war, person missing in action or dependent is eligible, free of general enrollment fees. Once a person qualifies as a dependent under the terms and provisions of this section, the fact of the return of the parent or the reported death of the parent will not remove the dependent from the provisions or benefits of this section.

B. For purposes of this section:

1. "Prisoner of war" and "person missing in action" means any person who was a resident of the State of Oklahoma at the time he or she entered service of the United States Armed Forces, or whose official residence is within the State of Oklahoma, and who, while serving in the United States Armed Forces has been declared to be a prisoner of war, or to be a person missing in action as established by the Secretary of Defense; and

2. "Dependent" means any child not to exceed twenty-four (24) years of age born to or adopted by a parent who served or is serving as a prisoner of war or was declared by the United States Armed Forces to be a person missing in action.

C. If federal funds are provided for general enrollment fees of said dependent, this section shall not be applicable.

Added by Laws 1973, c. 166, § 1, emerg. eff. May 16, 1973. Amended by Laws 1989, c. 369, § 26, operative July 1, 1989; Laws 1991, c. 327, § 7, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 1993, c. 44, § 1, emerg. eff. April 9, 1993.