Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to strengthen veterans education benefits by passing the G.I. Bill Tuition Fairness Act (H.R. 357).
VetsFirst supports this legislation which would provide in-state tuition rates for veterans seeking to attend public colleges and universities outside their home of residence. The bill is a bipartisan initiative of House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Ranking Member Mike Michaud (D-ME).
The often transient nature of military service can make it difficult for a student veteran to have lived in one state long enough to qualify for a school’s in-state tuition rate. Miller and Michaud have argued that service members protect the United States as a whole, not just a single state. Therefore, in-state tuition rates should be provided to them no matter where they live.
To address this issue, H.R. 357 would require any public university accepting G.I. Bill funds to provide the veteran with the school’s in-state tuition rate as a condition of receipt of those federal funds. The legislation also includes other provisions that would extend the Veterans Retraining and Assistance Program (VRAP) job training benefits from March 2014 to May 2014; strengthen VA hospital reporting requirements regarding infectious diseases; and suspend performance bonuses for certain VA employees.
VetsFirst understands how important community reintegration, education, and employment are to veterans. H.R. 357 empowers veterans to expand their education options, which is a positive step in encouraging their career development and preparedness to enter the workforce.