Gov. Rick Scott granted in-state tuition to veterans Monday in hopes of making Florida the most military-friendly state, and UF military members are saluting the efforts.
The bill creates the Congressman C.W. Bill Young Veteran Tuition Waiver Program, named in memory of the military advocate. It aims to expand education and employment opportunities for veterans in Florida by waiving out-of-state tuition fees at state colleges and universities.
Honorably discharged veterans, National Guard members and reserve components will reap the benefits of the slashed tuition rate, as well as job assistance programs and funds for military and guard base improvements.
Previously, non-Florida resident veterans were required to pay out-of-state tuition fees.
At UF, the in-state tuition rate for 2013-2014 is $208.77 per credit hour. Out-of-state students pay $951.34 per credit hour.
Marcus Tucker, a 29-year-old former Marine Corps corporal and UF marketing senior, said he believes that it is unjust to charge veterans out-of-state tuition at public institutions.
“They don’t serve one state or another state,” he said. “They serve the entire country.”
Tucker, who is the president of the UF Collegiate Veterans Society, said he commends the state of Florida for inviting veterans to come to Florida when they leave the military.
He said he believes that veterans are driven, focused on their training and rich with life experiences. By educating them at Florida universities, the state’s job market will gain a better workforce and a more productive economy.
Tucker said he knows a handful of student veterans who pay out-of-state tuition, and the bill will help them.
The federal Post-9/11 GI Bill that many veterans use covers 100 percent of in-state tuition and fees. Waiving out-of-state fees allows veterans who qualify for both benefits to get an education essentially for free, Tucker said.
It is common for UF Army ROTC cadets to serve as National Guard members while they’re in the ROTC program, said Kyle Everage, the UF Army ROTC recruiting operations officer.
Students who participate in this Simultaneous Membership Program will be eligible for many of the benefits of the new bill.
“It definitely shows that their efforts are appreciated,” he said. “The financial piece being taken care of it compensates them a little bit for all the time and effort they have to put in.”
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 4/4/2014 under the headline "Veterans granted in-state college tuition by Gov. Rick Scott"]
