The UW System announced Tuesday that beginning in Fall 2015, it will give in-state tuition to nonresidential military veterans who enroll in the System within three years of being discharged, a measure in line with recent changes to federal law.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers approximately 40 to 100 percent of in-state tuition and fees, depending on the amount of active duty service time the veteran has.
The UW System said in a statement it hopes to attract veterans to Wisconsin who previously had to pay higher out-of-state rates not covered by the bill.
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John A. Scocos recognized work at the federal level that will make it easier for American student veterans to access a “great” education using their GI bill benefits.
“Wisconsin has a great university and technical college system and military veteran students bring unique perspectives that enhance those systems,” Scocos said in the statement. “With this new rule, hopefully we will see more veterans come to make Wisconsin their home.”
Ray Cross, president of the UW System, said in the statement that eliminating the residency requirements will make a Wisconsin college education more affordable for non-resident veterans and will maximize the utility of the federal benefits granted to them in the GI bill.
Cross also recently announced the creation of a certification process that will recognize UW campuses demonstrating a strong commitment to helping student veterans succeed.
Campuses will be eligible for the certification, entitled University of Wisconsin Veterans Education and Transition to Success, if they meet a series of criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education as well as meeting several of UW’s best practices regarding serving student veterans.
The certification aims to be a helpful marker for student veterans as they choose a university to attend.
