MADISON – On Tuesday, the State Assembly approved Senate Bill (SB) 605 authored by Sen. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) and Rep. James Edming (R-Glen Flora). This proposal allows relocated service members, their spouse, and dependents to be considered residents of Wisconsin for the purposes of paying in-state tuition at a public university or technical college in Wisconsin. In order to qualify the applicant must demonstrate they are bona fide residents during the relocation period.

“This bill was inspired by a Wisconsin military family that approached my office after finding out one of their children would be subject to out-of-state tuition rates. This bill is a good example of legislators and the UW System working together for the benefit of Wisconsin citizens to make sure the state doesn’t add to the burden carried by service members and their families.” said Sen. Kooyenga.

Those who serve in the military and their families make great sacrifices for our state and nation. One of the challenges faced by service members and their families is being required to relocate to a new post. Unfortunately, if the spouse or parent of a student at one of our state’s public technical colleges or universities is relocated outside of Wisconsin due to their military service, it may cause the student to lose their state residency status. This would result in the student being required to pay nonresident tuition even though the student was treated as a resident prior to the relocation.

“Those who serve in the armed forces and their families make incredible sacrifices for our state and nation,” said Rep. Edming. “The least we can do is to make sure that they do not get stuck paying nonresident tuition when they are forced to relocate outside of Wisconsin due to their or their loved one’s military service.”

SB 605 has cleared both houses of the legislature and now heads to Governor Evers’ desk for his consideration.

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