Senate Bill 59 aims to amend the residency requirements for the tuition and fee remission program for certain veterans and their dependents enrolled in the University of Wisconsin System and technical colleges. Currently, veterans and their spouses and children aged 17 to 25 are eligible for full remission of tuition and fees if they meet specific residency criteria, including a five-year residency requirement prior to enrollment. The bill proposes to eliminate this five-year residency requirement for veterans who were not residents of Wisconsin when they entered military service. Instead, it allows these veterans to qualify for tuition remission if they are residents of Wisconsin at the time of their registration at a UW System school or technical college. Additionally, the spouses and children of such veterans can also qualify for remission under similar conditions.

The bill also introduces new language regarding the definition of "nonresident tuition" and modifies existing provisions to ensure that eligible veterans and their dependents can receive full remission of nonresident tuition, academic fees, and segregated fees for up to 128 credits or eight semesters, regardless of their prior residency status. The amendments include the removal of the requirement that spouses and children of veterans must have resided in Wisconsin for five consecutive years before enrollment, thus broadening access to educational benefits for veterans and their families. Overall, the bill seeks to enhance educational opportunities for veterans and their dependents by simplifying the eligibility criteria for tuition remission.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 36.27(3n)(a)1m.a, 36.27, 36.27(3n)(a)1m.b, 36.27(3n)(b)(intro.), 36.27(3n)(bd), 36.27(3n)(bg), 36.27(3n)(bm), 36.27(3n)(c), 36.27(3p)(a)1r.(intro.), 38.24(7)(a)1m.a, 38.24, 38.24(7)(a)1m.b, 38.24(7)(a)1p, 38.24(7)(b)(intro.), 38.24(7)(bd), 38.24(7)(bg), 38.24(7)(bm), 38.24(8)(a)1r.(intro.)