There is a bill moving through the Florida legislature that would allow honorably discharged military veterans to pay in-state tuition. For out-of-state military veterans applying to public universities and colleges in Florida, the bill would waive the one-year standard to establish residency.
Military veterans have put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day. Veterans put the country before themselves as they served to ensure our freedoms would never be taken away. For this reason, Florida should pass the bill that would give military veterans in-state tuition.
In the state university system, there are about 2,400 non-resident veterans.
The bill would not impact the admissions process, but simply help veterans with the financial burden of paying for college.
The military provides servicemen and women a set of values including dedication, integrity, duty and respect. U.S. vets have proven through their service that they have the tools necessary to be successful. As they put their lives on the line, vets do not only fight for the state in which they have residency, but for the entire nation.
Twenty-six states have already waived the residency waiting time for veterans’ tuition purposes. Currently in Florida, out-of-state vets are paying close to three times the in-state tuition cost.
Today, Student Government and the Collegiate Veterans Society are hosting an event in support of in-state tuition for all military veterans in Pugh Hall at 6:30 p.m. The event will feature out-of-state veterans sharing how the passage of this bill would impact them personally.
The bill is being sponsored by Sen. Latvala and Rep. Peters.
Abby Whiddon is the Chairwoman of External Affairs for Student Government. This guest column ran on page 7 on 11/12/2013 under the headline "Support in-state tuition for all military veterans"
