Gov. Matt Mead signed into law a bill last week giving veterans from any state in the U.S. in-state tuition to UW.
The bill is effective for the summer 2015 semester and every semester thereafter, and allows veterans to qualify as a resident for the purposes of tuition. It also makes it possible for a veteran to transfer this benefit to a dependent such as a spouse or child if they so choose.
Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, said the bill was an effort to bring Wyoming into compliance with the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, which passed at the federal level. The act requires states to offer in-state tuition to all veterans, as long as it is within three years of discharge. Landen said the new Wyoming law goes a bit further.
“We offer in-state tuition at the colleges and the university to any veteran who has education benefits remaining. In other words we don’t have the three year window restriction,” Landen said.
UW Veterans Services Center (VSC) Project Coordinator Marty Martinez said the one year window restriction in place before the bill passed meant many veterans did not qualify for the benefits.
“Most of the veterans we had calling us had been out more than a year,” Martinez said. “One and a half to three years is what we were seeing for the most part.”
Martinez said the benefit will also apply to veteran students already enrolled as of April 1. This allows UW to extend the benefits to a larger number of veterans.
“The effect in my mind is going to be profound,” Martinez said. “We are going to help a lot of military personnel and their families.”
In-state tuition and fees at UW are $4,645 per year, almost $10,000 less than nonresident tuition. There are nearly 600 military veteran students enrolled at UW for the spring semester and many could qualify for these benefits.
Nonresident military veteran students must meet specific criteria to benefit. They must be a veteran of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps or National Guard or any reserve or auxiliary component.
They must also provide evidence they are trying to establish Wyoming residency, such as a current Wyoming driver’s license, evidence of employment in Wyoming, a current property lease or purchase agreement of an in-state residence or other proof that can be reviewed by UW officials.
“This is an opportunity for the state and the university to tell veterans that we appreciate their service, by decreasing the financial burden of education,” Martinez said.
