From the Student Body President of the University of Florida: Florida House of Representatives

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Florida's G.I. Bill Passes the House

The state legislature opened its 60 day session yesterday. The House's first legislative action of the session was passing the Florida G.I. Bill. This bill, among many other things, provides in-state tuition for veterans pursuing a college degree. Thanks to all of our State Representatives for passing such important legislation. I look forward to this bill's passage in the Senate and can't wait for Governor Scott to sign it. Read more at SaintPetersBlog.com

Monday, September 30, 2013

Veterans Tuition Bill

A bill has been filed in the state legislature that will grant honorably discharged veterans in-state tuition. When soldiers go overseas to ensure the freedoms and liberties Americans enjoy everyday they are not representing the one state that they are from, they are fighting for all fifty states that make up the United States of America.

The bill essentially waives the current one-year requirement for veterans to establish residency in the state before they may qualify for in-state tuition rates. As of now, twenty-six states currently waive the required waiting time to establish residency for veterans in order to obtain in-state tuition rates at public higher education institutions.

Last week in the Florida Senate, the bill sponsored by Sen. Latvala unanimously passed the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security. In this committee Senator Evers amended the bill to specify “honorably discharged” veterans. The bill will be heard next in the Committee on Education. An identical bill sponsored by Rep. Peters has been filed in the House of Representatives although it has not been referred to committee hearings yet.

At the University of Florida, we have 37 non-resident active duty service members and 119 non-resident veterans. This totals 156 University of Florida students to which this bill would apply. I urge all students to stand with me to support House Bill 35 and Senate Bill 84, which allow all veterans to be eligible for in-state tuition in the state of Florida.