Burns bill guaranteeing in-state tuition for military families passes House

Rep. Frank Burns    June 3, 2019 | 5:21 PM

HARRISBURG, June 3 – Providing in-state tuition rates to college students in active-duty military families in Pennsylvania – even if their parent is reassigned to another state before they can begin their education – is one step closer to reality following its unanimous passage in the House, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, announced today.

House Bill 1050, authored by Burns, would guarantee the in-state tuition rate for military families as soon as a student enrolls in a public college or university, regardless of where their military parent is later reassigned, Burns said.

“These students shouldn’t be penalized because of their mother’s or father’s reassignment, which is beyond their control,” Burns said. “Veterans and their families count on us to ensure they get the benefits they deserve.”

Under current law, Burns said dependents of military personnel in Pennsylvania who enroll at a public college or university in Pennsylvania are charged in-state tuition rates. However, the U.S. Department of Defense found some students lost the in-state rate, due to a parent’s reassignment outside of Pennsylvania, between the day the student was accepted to the college or university and the first day of the semester.

The bill now heads to the state Senate for consideration.

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