The state Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee recently approved legislation that would permit spouses and dependents of military service members to qualify for in-state tuition in the event that service member is suddenly transferred to another state.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Ocean Twp.) would amend current law to extend the in-state tuition status to a spouse or dependent of military service members, and allow the spouse or dependent to maintain continuous enrollment at a New Jersey public institution of higher education.
“Those who serve in our military and their families deserve every accommodation we can afford,” Gopal said. “Extending the in-state tuition classification for spouses and dependents is one less thing that service member and their family will have to worry about should that member be suddenly relocated, and one more way we can say thank you for their service.”
Specifically, the spouse or dependent would not lose their in-state status due to a member’s relocation, provided that they were enrolled in a public college in New Jersey prior to the relocation, and that the spouse or dependent maintains continuous enrollment at the school.
