A new state law will enhance access to UT for military veterans, service members, and their dependents.
State of Tennessee Public Chapter 31 went into effect July 1. It waives out-of-state tuition and fees for military veterans, service members, and their dependents who are living in Tennessee and enrolled in any of the state’s colleges or universities using veterans’ educational benefits, regardless of their home of record.
“We will definitely get more students. It will definitely have an impact on UT,” said Veteran Student Services Coordinator Jayetta Rogers. She said she has been getting calls daily since the law was passed by the state legislature this spring.
The law has the most impact on active duty military personnel now residing in Tennessee who were living in another state (their home of record) when they enlisted. Their spouses and children are similarly affected.
Last spring, UT enrolled 475 veterans, military members, and more than 375 military spouses and dependents.
Of those, 25 were paying out-of-state tuition. The new law allowed 18 of those student veterans and dependents switch to in-state tuition.
UT has received several distinctions for being a veteran-friendly university.
The university ranks 31st among all public universities in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2017 list of Best Colleges for Veterans. In 2014, the Military Order of the Purple Heart designated UT a Purple Heart University. It was the first school in Tennessee to receive this designation.