If enacted, this bill would amend Arizona Revised Statutes section 15-1802 to expand the eligibility for in-state student classification for tuition purposes. Currently, the law allows for various exceptions to the one-year domicile requirement for in-state classification, including participation in AmeriCorps, membership in a recognized Indian tribe, and military service. The bill would add a new provision that specifically entitles contracted cadets participating in a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program in Arizona to classification as in-state students.

The bill would replace the existing subsection K with the new language that recognizes contracted cadets as eligible for in-state status, thereby ensuring they do not lose this classification if they can demonstrate intent to be a resident of Arizona. This change aims to support ROTC cadets by providing them with the same tuition benefits as other qualifying individuals, thereby potentially reducing tuition revenues for public universities by an estimated $812,000 to $2,400,000 annually, depending on participation rates.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-1802
Senate Engrossed Version: 15-1802
Chaptered Version: 15-1802