The late Congressman Bill Young has received yet another honor Monday. Governor Rich Scott signed a law that creates a tuition waiver program for honorably discharged veterans and named it after the former U.S. Representative from Pinellas County.
Student veterans attending Florida’s public universities lobbied for several years before lawmakers granted them in-state tuition waivers. Now, starting July 1, no matter when they moved to Florida, student veterans will get a tuition break. But it will cost universities an estimated $12 million.
The president of the University of South Florida Student Veterans Association, Ray Mollison, says it was a team effort.
"People in the SVA all of them together really collaborated together to try to push this in-state tuition", said Mollison. "What this definitely emphasizes is is that we definitely in the state of Florida facilitate veterans needs."
The new law also funds scholarships for the National Guard, pays to renovate several national guard armories and helps buy land around existing military bases to prevent encroachment. And the bill waives Florida’s professional licensing fees up to five years after a veteran is discharged.
An estimated 1.5 million veterans live in Florida. Lawmakers hope this new law will attract even more.