SB 487

This bill allows a child or spouse of a relocated active duty service member to

qualify for resident tuition at a University of Wisconsin System institution or

technical college under certain circumstances.

Under current law, a person generally must be a resident of this state for at

least 12 months prior to registering at a UW System institution in order to be exempt

from paying nonresident tuition. Current law specifies various nonresident tuition

exemptions, under which nonresident students pay resident tuition rates.

Also under current law, the Technical College System Board establishes

program fees that the technical college districts must charge students. With

exceptions, the fees for nonresidents are 150 percent of the fees for residents. The

TCS Board must establish procedures to determine the residence of students

attending technical colleges, but statutes specify that certain students must be

considered residents of this state.

This bill creates a nonresident tuition exemption at UW System institutions

and technical colleges for a person if 1) the person is the child or spouse of an active

duty member of the U.S. armed forces and the person has been accepted for

admission to a UW System institution or technical college; 2) the service member

resided in this state at the time the person was accepted for admission but the service

member was subsequently relocated and stationed in another state; and 3) after the

person's admission and initial enrollment, the person has remained continuously

enrolled in the UW System institution or technical college.