Veterans in Iowa with severe disabilities from their military service could soon be receiving a major lifeline to support their higher education goals.
On Monday, a bill was unanimously approved by the Iowa Senate that would give disabled veterans free tuition and eliminate fees for attending the state’s public universities. The bill now goes to Gov. Kim Reynolds to be signed into law, according to Newsweek.
If passed, the law would require the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to give veterans with 100 percent service-connected disability ratings, as determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs, a free college education.
Benefit ‘Long Overdue’
For many veterans with severe disabilities, the cost of attending a public university in Iowa makes earning a degree difficult.
Costs for tuition can be higher than $9,000 per year, excluding money for books, housing and mandatory fees.
If passed, the bill could make a veteran’s dream of attending a four-year public university a reality, increasing access to employment for those with severe disabilities.
Veterans applying for the tuition waiver would also need to show they have exhausted or aren’t eligible for additional state or federal education benefits, such as Pell Grants and VA grants. The waiver could only be used to cover remaining fees not paid for through other programs, filling the bucket between current benefits and total tuition and fees.
Iowa State Sen. Sandy Salmon, a strong advocate for the measure, said the bill should be a message that state lawmakers support severely disabled veterans.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle hailed the bill as a “long-overdue” benefit for the many brave men and women who have already paid the price during their service time.
“It’s a well-deserved thank you for veterans,” State Rep. Ken Croken said.
Out of 177,000 Iowa veterans, about 47,000 of those are disabled, but only a fraction of that number is considered 100 percent service-connected, allowing them to receive free tuition.
Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group and host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek that he’s proud Iowa is moving the bill forward.
“The bill was framed as a move to support veterans, those who gave their time and bodies in service to the country,” Thompson said. “However, it requires a 100 percent disability rating from the VA to qualify for free access to Iowa’s in state institutions. That is a high bar. As many have experienced, VA math is complex. Achieving a full disability rating often requires multiple conditions and substantial evidence proving those conditions are service connected.”
Model for Others to Follow
Alex Beene, who teaches financial literacy at the University of Tennessee at Martin, said the bill could open doors for other states to offer a similar model for veterans.
“This bill is opening up additional financial assistance for disabled veterans who may want to enroll in college but are still concerned over costs,” Beene told Newsweek. “While there are current options both at the federal level and in some states to provide monetary support to veterans pursuing a collegiate degree, those options still may not fully cover the cost.”
Thompson believes offering free tuition could also increase military recruiting numbers.
“I would expect similar policies to be considered in other states, especially as military recruitment continues to struggle,” Thompson said. “We are already seeing enlistment ages increase and certain requirements being relaxed. Benefits like free tuition, and potentially housing, could become more common as incentives to drive enlistment.”
Next Steps
With approval from both the House and Senate in Iowa, the only thing left is for Reynolds to sign it into law.
Once it becomes law, the program would proceed to the state’s public universities and be managed by the Board of Regents.
With a shaky economy and high costs due to inflation, the program could ease the financial burden of earning a degree for many veterans.
“For disabled veterans who are undoubtedly dealing with inflationary pressures in all other areas, this could be a difference-maker between thinking of and actually attending college,” Beene said.
