Some state lawmakers want to give returning veterans a break on tuition at public universities and community colleges if they settle in Michigan.State Representative Holly Hughes says a tuition break is one way Michigan can help returning veterans as the country winds down operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“And I think we should just, when they come home, welcome them home and waive the residency requirement whether they are going to a community college or a university,” she says.
Hughes says that would also encourage more veterans to settle in Michigan once they conclude their military careers. She says a tuition break would also help reduce the high rate of unemployment among returning veterans.
Universities and community colleges say there are already federal programs to help vets with the costs of education and career training. They say the legislation should also make up for the revenue that would be lost to higher education institutions.