Military moves would excuse residency requirements for certain tuition waivers

The Commissioner of Veterans Services would treat the five-year Virginia home or physical-presence requirement before a college application as met in two military move situations. These exceptions concern tuition and mandatory fee waivers for eligible military spouses and children. They apply to the military member’s five-year Virginia home or physical-presence requirement immediately before the student’s college application. One exception applies when lawful military orders moving someone outside Virginia are the sole reason the five-year requirement was not met. The other applies when an otherwise eligible spouse or child moves to Virginia under lawful military orders and establishes residency after enrollment in another state’s military survivors and dependents tuition and fee program. Students must be admitted to a Virginia public college and certified as eligible. Children generally must be ages 16–29; the commissioner may approve older children if special circumstances prevented them from using benefits before age 30. Eligibility requires a military member killed, missing in action, or taken prisoner during the specified military missions, terrorism, or armed conflict; alternatively, a veteran must have a service-related disability rated total and permanent or at least 90 percent permanent, with discharge under conditions other than dishonorable.