Subject to the annual appropriation in the annual Education Trust Fund Appropriation Act, provided such annual appropriations shall not exceed $10,000,000, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education is hereby authorized to pay or reimburse the qualifying tuition for any active member of the Alabama National Guard who is enrolled in a program leading to the associate, baccalaureate, masters, or doctorate degree in an accredited institution of higher learning, community or technical college within the State of Alabama. Such payments or reimbursements shall be made timely at the end of each academic quarter or semester for all tuition reimbursements, and shall be made on the basis of certified invoices submitted by such institution or school to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and shall be supported by names of the students receiving such benefits, together with the amounts claimed for each student. To be eligible for such benefits, the individual, at the time of his or her enrollment must be an active member of the Alabama National Guard in good standing and an active member of a federally recognized unit of the Alabama National Guard. The member must be at least 17 years of age and must be a resident of the State of Alabama. The tuition reimbursement authorized under this article may be used for undergraduate or graduate studies. In no event will any individual be eligible to receive more than 100 percent of qualified tuition when combined with similar federal veterans' educational benefits available to members of the National Guard. All applicants for tuition reimbursement shall complete a Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA). No person shall be eligible for tuition reimbursement for more than 12 years after the date of the first tuition payment to him or her under this article. For degrees above the baccalaureate, only 10 percent of the total funds of the benefit program are to be utilized. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education shall set up minimum standards for performance that must be met in order to maintain eligibility for the continuation of the receipt of tuition reimbursements under this article that will ensure a member will maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average. In the event that requests for tuition reimbursements provided for in this chapter from the institutions for educational benefits in any fiscal year exceed the appropriated amount, then the reimbursements will be prorated equally among the institutions on a percentage basis of the total invoices received by ACHE and paid accordingly. Such reimbursement shall be made promptly at the end of each academic quarter or semester for all certified invoices.