The University of Ottawa is opening its doors to the children of Canadian Forces personnel killed while serving in an active military mission.

The school will waive all undergraduate tuition fees for dependants of fallen military personnel, starting in September.

On-campus residence fees will also be waived for the first year of undergraduate studies.

University president Allan Rock said “the best way of honouring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice is to ensure that their children have free access to education on our campus.”

The University of Ottawa is the first school in Canada to adopt the policy, working with Toronto-based Project Hero.

As Project Hero lead Kevin Reed explained, the concept came about during a recent conversation with retired General Rick Hillier.

According to Reed, Hillier, who serves as chancellor of Memorial University in St. John’s Nfld., was excited at the prospect of reaching out to the families of slain soldiers and servicemen.

“This is something, from my view, that is a very small part of what we can do for our men and women in uniform,” said Reed. “We just want to provide a little bit of certainty in removing the financial burden of a higher education.”

Memorial University, along with the University of Windsor and the University of Calgary have also come on board.

Reed said his ultimate goal would be to have every major Canadian university on board by September.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay praised the University of Ottawa, calling the program “an excellent example of how institutions can play a vital role in commemorating the lives of our fallen soldiers.”

To qualify, candidates must be under age 26, citizens or permanent Canadian residents, dependants of a member of the Canadian Forces who dies while serving in an active mission, and registered as a full-time student in a program of study eligible for provincial funding.

aedan.helmer@sunmedia.ca