Tuition and fee remission or grants for certain veterans and their dependents enrolled in the University of Wisconsin System, a technical college, or a private nonprofit institution of higher education; and the University of Wisconsin System nonresident tuition exemption for certain veterans. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill modifies the residency requirement for the tuition and fee remission program for certain veterans and their spouses and children enrolled in University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges. The bill makes a similar change with respect to grant eligibility for certain veterans and their spouses and children enrolled in private nonprofit colleges. The bill also modifies the UW System nonresident tuition exemption for certain veterans.

Under current law, if certain criteria are met, veterans and their spouses and 17- to 25-year-old children are eligible for full remission of tuition and fees at UW System schools and technical colleges for up to eight semesters or 128 credits, whichever is longer. Under the veterans fee remission program, the veteran must be a resident of this state when he or she entered military service or be a resident of this state for at least five consecutive years immediately before the veteran registers at a UW System school or technical college. Under the fee remission program for the spouse or child of a veteran who suffered service-connected death or disability, the veteran must have been a resident of this state when he or she entered military service or one of the following must apply: 1) if the veteran, while a resident of this state, died on active duty, died as the result of a service-connected disability, or died in the line of duty while on active or inactive duty for training purposes, the veteran must have resided in this state for at least five consecutive years while an adult, or 2) if the veteran received at least a 30 percent service-connected disability rating, the veteran must have resided in this state for at least five consecutive years immediately before the veteran's spouse or child registers at a UW System school or technical college. In addition, if a veteran was not a resident of this state when he or she entered military service, the veteran's spouse or child is eligible for tuition and fee remission only if the spouse or child has resided in this state for at least five consecutive years immediately before the spouse's or child's enrollment in a UW System school or technical college.

Who's behind it

16 representatives are its authors⁠. 13 are Republicans and 3 are Democrats.

9 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From HEAB
• Fiscal Estimate From UWS
• Fiscal Estimate From WTCS