This bill aims to allow United States military personnel and their dependents who reside in New Jersey to qualify for the resident tuition rate at county colleges. Specifically, it stipulates that these individuals will be regarded as residents of the county where they live or are stationed, thereby ensuring they are charged the lower county resident tuition rate instead of the higher non-resident rate. This change addresses the current situation where many military members and their dependents maintain out-of-county or out-of-state addresses, which disqualifies them from receiving the resident tuition benefits at their local county colleges.

The bill builds upon existing law, which already recognizes military members and their dependents as state residents for in-state tuition purposes at public institutions of higher education. By extending this benefit to county colleges, the legislation seeks to provide equitable access to affordable education for military families. The act is set to take effect immediately and will first apply to the academic year following its enactment.