MOAA Strongly Supports Early Enactment of the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013
Alexandria, Va. (PRWEB) July 26, 2013 -- Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) applauds Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, and Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) for their leadership on in-state tuition rates for all student veterans. Their GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013 would establish in-state tuition rates under GI bill programs for non-resident student veterans enrolled in public colleges and universities.
“H.R. 357 and S. 257 are a practical, cost-saving approach that allows our returning warriors more options to take advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and other GI bill programs,” MOAA President Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN (Ret), said. “The bill comes at a critical time when more servicemembers than average will be leaving active service and starting new careers in civilian life.
“The GI bill is one of the finest education benefits ever devised,” Ryan continued. “Our volunteers have served and sacrificed for the nation and should be given every consideration when they transition from military service.”
A July 21 story in the Miami Herald stated 17 states currently offer in-state tuition to all veterans, regardless of where they served; seven states offer it with conditions; and 12 states are considering legislation.
A recent move by the board of regents of the University of Michigan will allow veterans to qualify for in-state tuition rates in Michigan.
The House of Representatives favorably voted out Miller’s bill earlier this year.
“MOAA is very grateful to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee for favorably reporting out the Boozman measure, as amended, at a markup hearing [July 24],” Col. Bob Norton, USA (Ret), deputy director of MOAA’s Government Relations, said after attending the hearing.
About MOAA:
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation’s largest officers association with more than 380,000 members from every branch of service, including active duty, retired, National Guard, Reserve, and former officers and their families and survivors. MOAA is a nonprofit and politically nonpartisan organization and an influential force in promoting a strong national defense. MOAA represents the interests of service members and their families in every stage of their lives and careers, and for those who are not eligible to join MOAA, Voices for America’s Troops is a nonprofit MOAA affiliate that supports a strong national defense. For more information, visit http://www.moaa.org or http://www.voicesfortroops.org/.
PR, Military Officers Association of America, 703-838-0546, [email protected]
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