A bill moving through the Senate allows spouses and children of active duty military personnel and qualifying veterans to receive resident tuition at the state’s universities. Senate Bill 33 waives the requirement that they live in South Dakota for one year before being considered a resident. Board of Regents Executive Director Jack Warner spoke in favor of the bill. He says the legislature passed a bill allowing for immediate residency for veterans in the 2012 session.
“We were very proud of the fact that we were one of the first states in the country to offer this benefit, and we thought that we were fine with the new VA regulations when they came out, but those new regulations ask us to extend the benefit to spouses and children,” Warner says. “That’s what this bill does. It adds to the already waiver of in-state tuition for the veteran himself or herself to include the spouse and children. And we’ve also extended the benefit to active duty military.”
The bill passed through the Senate Education Committee and now heads to the full Senate for further debate.