House committee reports out Burns bill to ensure children of deployed military members retain in-state tuition
Positioned for full House vote this week
Rep. Frank Burns May 22, 2023 | 12:22 PM
HARRISBURG, May 22 – The PA House Education Committee today unanimously reported out a bill authored by state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, which would guarantee in-state tuition rates for Pennsylvania students enrolled in a public college or university in the state even if their military parent is reassigned out of state.
Burns introduced the bill to bring some peace of mind to Pennsylvania’s military families.
“The nature of military service requires them to go where and when they’re needed, so miltary parents can’t control where they’re sent,” Burns said. “That unpredictability shouldn’t penalize them or their children when it comes to their child’s higher education. My bill would make sure they aren’t.”
His H.B. 804 would guarantee in-state tuition rates to military families as soon as a student enrolls or registers at a community college or submits an enrollment deposit to a four-year public college or state-owned or state-related university, even if their military parent is later reassigned or deployed and the family moves out of state.
“This bill would add some flexibility to the state’s public higher education institutions in order to provide some stability to an otherwise potentially uncertain aspect for military families and their college-aged children,” he said. “I look forward to the bill’s passage in the House chamber, which is anticipated to be later this week.”