STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Senator VINCENT J. POLISTINA
District 2 (Atlantic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Pou and Space
SYNOPSIS
Permits spouses and dependents of military service members to qualify for in-State tuition in event that service member is transferred to another state.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning in-State tuition rates for certain students attending public institutions of higher education and amending P.L.1985, c.231.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1985, c.231 (C.18A:62-4.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. United States military personnel and their spouses and dependents who are living in New Jersey and are attending public institutions of higher education in New Jersey shall be regarded as residents of the State for the purpose of determining tuition.
In the event that a United States military service member is relocated out of the State due to the service members continued military service, the service members spouse or dependent shall continue to be regarded as residents of the State for the purpose of determining tuition provided that: (1) the spouse or dependent was enrolled in a public institution of higher education in New Jersey prior to the service members relocation; and (2) the spouse or dependent maintains continuous enrollment at the public institution of higher education.
b. A dependent child of United States military personnel who attended high school in New Jersey for a minimum of three years shall be regarded by a public institution of higher education in New Jersey as a resident of the State for the purpose of determining tuition, regardless of where the dependent child resides upon enrollment in the institution.
(cf: P.L.2021, c.49, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under current law, United States military personnel and their dependents who are living in New Jersey and are attending public institutions of higher education in New Jersey are regarded as residents of the State for the purpose of determining tuition. This bill amends that law to provide that:
the in-State tuition classification also applies to the military service members spouse; and
in the event that the military service member is relocated out of the State due to the service members continued military service, the service members spouse or dependent will not lose their in-State tuition classification provided that: (1) the spouse or dependent was enrolled in a public institution of higher education in New Jersey prior to the service members relocation; and (2) the spouse or dependent maintains continuous enrollment at the public institution of higher education.