SECTION 137. National guard education assistance program

There shall be a Massachusetts national guard education assistance program. The program shall be administered by the military division which may issue a certificate of exemption from the matriculation fee and tuition to any member of the Massachusetts army or air national guard who is enrolled at any state institution in a program the cost of which is borne by the commonwealth and who is qualified as provided in this section. This certificate shall remain in effect for 1 full academic year and shall be renewed after the student has completed a full academic year of work equal to 30 semester hours, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the military division. A certificate may therefore be in effect for more than 1 year.

To receive benefits from the program, the member shall be a member in good standing of the active Massachusetts army or air national guard at the beginning of each semester that benefits are payable and shall remain a member in good standing of the active Massachusetts army or air national guard throughout the entire semester for which benefits are payable.

Assistance shall continue for the benefit of the member only during such time as the member remains a student in good standing at the institution in which the member is enrolled; provided, however, that no student shall receive the benefits for more than 130 semester hours.

Enrollment of a member in a course at any such institution shall be dependent on the availability of seats. For the purposes of this section, ''availability of seats'' shall mean vacancies that exist in a course after the enrollment of all tuition-paying students and all students who are enrolled under any scholarship or tuition waiver provisions.