STATEHOUSE (Jan. 9, 2018) — The House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety recently passed State Rep. Tim Wesco’s (R-Osceola) proposal that would protect college students when they are called or deployed to active military duty.
House Bill 1047 would provide a tuition refund or credit to all military personnel, including members of the Indiana National Guard and reserve branches who are called to active duty during their academic term. The student could also be re-enrolled in courses that were not completed due to their active duty status.
"Service men and women shouldn’t lose their place in their schooling while serving our country,” Wesco said. “This bill provides protections to our citizen soldiers that are long past due.”
The legislation would also expand financial aid opportunities for veteran students by excluding other benefits, such as disability and Social Security, from calculations to determine their needs-based eligibility.
“Hoosier veterans should not have other federal benefits, such as disability assistance, count against their eligibility for college financial aid,” Wesco said. “I am looking forward to presenting this legislation in front of the full House.”
House Bill 1047 can now move to the full House for further consideration. For more information, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Tim Wesco (R-Osceola) represents House District 21, which
includes portions of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.
A high-resolution photo of Wesco can be downloaded by clicking here.
