Children of servicemembers who died or became disabled in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom; education.

(1) It is the policy of the state to provide educational opportunity at state expense for a dependent child of a servicemember who died or suffered a service-connected 100-percent total and permanent disability rating for compensation as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or who has been determined to have a service-connected total and permanent disability rating of 100 percent and is in receipt of disability retirement pay from any branch of the United States Armed Forces, while participating in Operation Enduring Freedom, which began on October 7, 2001, or while participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19, 2003.

(a) A certified copy of a death certificate, a valid identification card issued by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in accordance with s. 295.17, a letter certifying the service-connected 100-percent total and permanent disability rating for compensation from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or a letter certifying the service-connected total and permanent disability rating of 100 percent for retirement pay from any branch of the United States Armed Forces is prima facie evidence that the dependent child of such servicemember is eligible for educational benefits.

(b) In addition to the requirement provided in paragraph (a), a dependent child is eligible for educational benefits under this section if:

1. During either period of military action, Florida was listed as the servicemember’s official home of record in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database; or

2. The dependent child qualifies as a resident for tuition purposes under s. 1009.21 and the servicemember, if living, is a resident of this state.

(2) Sections 295.03-295.05 and 1009.40 shall apply.