After three years of battling for in-state tuition waivers - the governor signed the "Florida GI" bill giving them a tuition break.
As president of the Student Veterans Association at the University of South Florida, Ray Mollison lobbied for the bill.
"It's something that I'm looking forward to seeing in the fall semester when it gets kicked off because I think we're going to see a new veteran population start flowing in because they realize Tampa has a great environment, a great area for employment opportunities", Mollison said.
The tuition break will cost public colleges and universities an estimated $12 million.
The bill also provides money for National Guard scholarships, renovation of Guard armories and to buy land surrounding military bases to prevent encroachment.