COLUMBIA, S.C. — Out-of-state military veterans could come to South Carolina and immediately pay in-state tuition at its colleges and universities, under legislation endorsed Thursday by a state Senate panel.
“I’m glad the bill got approved, I have a lot of veterans in my district,” said the sponsor, Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, after the higher education subcommittee approved the measure and sent it to the full Senate Education Committee.
A similar measure fell just short of gaining lawmakers’ approval last year.
The bill also allows a military veteran who chooses not to use the benefit to transfer it to a spouse or children.
Backers of the proposal said it will bring more military retirees to the state, boosting the quality of South Carolina’s workforce.
They also argued it makes the state more “military friendly” and will blunt Pentagon moves to close or reduce the size of the state’s military installations.
“This is the right thing to do, and it’s also the smart thing to do,” said Jim Lorraine, president of the America’s Warrior Partnership, which works with communities to develop programs to assist veterans.
