BY MATTHEW MARTIN | Staff Reporter
A new bill in the Indiana Legislature may change the requirements of residency for veterans.
The new bill would allow veterans relocating to Indiana, or previous Indiana resident veterans, to be eligible for in-state tuition immediately upon attending Purdue if the time of enrollment was no later than 12 months after leaving the armed forces.
Evan Smith, a senior in the College of Agriculture and the president of the Purdue Student Veterans Organization, said the bill is a great help for veterans looking for public schools to attend.
“If this bill is passed it will help a whole lot,” Smith said.
http://liarcatchers.com/studentresidency.html
Smith said the bill would particularly help Indiana residents who enter military service and later return to Indiana. Purdue’s current policy for in-state tuition requires residency in the state of Indiana for six to 12 months.
Ryan Carlson, a Purdue alumni and a founder of the Purdue Student Veterans Organization, said he had to wait a semester to receive in-state tuition at Purdue.
Carlson said he was a resident of Indiana when he joined the military and was not considered a resident by Purdue when he returned to Indiana. After attending Purdue for a semester and doing some paperwork, he became eligible for in-state tuition. Carlson thinks the new bill would streamline the process for veterans coming to Purdue.
“I completely think that would be an incentive to come here,” Carlson said.
Carlson said while the G.I. bill provides some out-of-state coverage for tuition, paying the in-state tuition rate would also be an incentive for veterans looking to attend a state school like Purdue.
“Tuition is a major consideration if you are a veteran and Purdue is an attractive school (because of the bill),” Carlson said.
Smith said this bill protects Indiana service members’ ability to pay in-state tuition. He said the new bill is a way for Purdue to be more open to incoming veterans.
“We want Purdue to become more military friendly,” Smith said.
