Veterans bestow invaluable gifts upon all Americans and should be one of the most revered groups in the country, which is why the N.C. General Assembly should approve a resolution that would grant student veterans in-state tuition at every UNC-system school.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill only covers the value of in-state tuition. This means that out-of-state student veterans are responsible for paying the difference.
Currently, veterans who were stationed abroad or out-of-state are not eligible for in-state tuition once they have left service and have attempted to enroll at colleges and universities across the state.
Members of the military also have the option of changing their legal residence while stationed elsewhere. Reasons to do so range from benefiting from tax laws to the ability to register vehicles. However, once they’ve decided to return to North Carolina and attend school, they may not be able to easily fill the requirements to change their residency back.
Sen. Richard Burr has co-sponsored a bill in Congress that would mandate all higher education institutions charge in-state tuition for all student veterans — regardless of their state of residence.
The UNC-system Board of Governors has also taken action by passing a resolution last October that asks the N.C. General Assembly to give them the authority to determine residency for student veterans.
While action may be taking place on the national level, this should not allow the N.C. General Assembly to be complacent on this issue. Congress may not act on Burr’s bill.
This is why it is imperative that the General Assembly works on legislation when it convenes in May that will give the BOG the ability to grant student veterans in-state tuition. The time has come for North Carolinians to give veterans as much as they have given us.
