For purposes of the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act:

(1) Associate degree program means a degree program at a community college, state college, or state university which typically requires completion of an organized program of study of at least sixty semester credit hours or an equivalent that can be shown to accomplish the same goal. Associate degree program does not include a baccalaureate degree program;

(2) Baccalaureate degree program means a degree program at a community college, state college, or state university which typically requires completion of an organized program of study of at least one hundred twenty semester credit hours or an equivalent that can be shown to accomplish the same goal;

(3) Community college means a public postsecondary educational institution which is part of the community college system and includes all branches and campuses of such institution located within the State of Nebraska;

(4) Law enforcement officer means any individual who is a law enforcement officer as defined in section 81-1401;

(5) Legal dependent has the same meaning as it is used for purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid;

(6) Line of duty means any action that a law enforcement officer or professional firefighter is authorized or obligated by law, rule, or regulation to perform, related to or as a condition of employment or service;

(7) Professional firefighter means an individual who is a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic as a full-time career and who is a member of a paid fire department of any of the following entities within Nebraska:

(a) A municipality, including a municipality having a home rule charter or a municipal authority created pursuant to a home rule charter that has its own paid fire department;

(b) A rural or suburban fire protection district; or

(c) A fire service providing fire protection to state military installations;

(8) State college means a public postsecondary educational institution which is part of the Nebraska state college system and includes all branches and campuses of such institution located within the State of Nebraska;

(9) State university means a public postsecondary educational institution which is part of the University of Nebraska and includes all branches and campuses of such institution located within the State of Nebraska; and

(10) Tuition means the charges and cost of tuition as set by the governing body of a state university, state college, or community college.