Children of prisoners of war and persons missing in action; education

(1) It is the policy of the state to provide educational opportunity at state expense for a dependent child of a parent who has been classified as a prisoner of war or missing in action in the service of the United States Armed Forces or in the capacity of civilian personnel captured while serving with the consent or authorization of the United States Government. Such educational opportunity shall be provided until such time as the parent so classified is returned alive or the parent’s remains are recovered. (2) A dependent child is eligible for educational benefits under this section if: (a) Immediately preceding the event that led to the parent’s classification as a prisoner of war or missing in action by the United States Government, Florida was listed as the parent’s official home of record in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database; or(b) The child qualifies as a resident for tuition purposes under s. 1009.21 and the parent is a resident of this state. (3) Sections 295.03-295.05 and 1009.40 shall apply.