Posted on Nov 12, 2015
President announces in-state tuition for all veterans and family members.
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This should help a lot of folks with college aged kids.
WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - All recent U.S. military veterans and their families will now be offered in-state tuition rates to public colleges and universities throughout the country, the White House said on Wednesday.
Announced in honor of the U.S. federal holiday Veterans Day, which fell on Wednesday, the change is part of President Barack Obama's "steadfast commitment" to military families and aims to make sure veterans can both access and get the most out of higher education, administration officials said.
Officials also announced the launch of a revamped comparison tool to offer veteran-specific admissions statistics, which aims to help applicants better evaluate programs, and a new effort to curb deceptive enrollment tactics used by schools aiming to recruit veterans.
Cecilia Munoz, a top domestic policy adviser to the president, said while Obama is pressing his administration to push these changes forward quickly, he is also calling on Congress to move forward on three pieces of legislation to help improve veterans' education.
"These pieces of legislation will really ensure that veterans have the opportunities and assistance to ... realize the American dream," Munoz told reporters on a conference call.
One bill would heighten standards for schools receiving G.I. Bill funds, while another would help protect G.I. Bill benefits for veterans whose schools close mid-term. A third, just introduced on Tuesday, would increase regulation of for-profit colleges, many of which target veterans.
"What we think this does is ramp up the accountability" of those schools, Munoz said, adding that it ensures "we are requiring a high-quality education for veterans that have served us well." (Reporting by Megan Cassella; Editing by Sandra Maler)
WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - All recent U.S. military veterans and their families will now be offered in-state tuition rates to public colleges and universities throughout the country, the White House said on Wednesday.
Announced in honor of the U.S. federal holiday Veterans Day, which fell on Wednesday, the change is part of President Barack Obama's "steadfast commitment" to military families and aims to make sure veterans can both access and get the most out of higher education, administration officials said.
Officials also announced the launch of a revamped comparison tool to offer veteran-specific admissions statistics, which aims to help applicants better evaluate programs, and a new effort to curb deceptive enrollment tactics used by schools aiming to recruit veterans.
Cecilia Munoz, a top domestic policy adviser to the president, said while Obama is pressing his administration to push these changes forward quickly, he is also calling on Congress to move forward on three pieces of legislation to help improve veterans' education.
"These pieces of legislation will really ensure that veterans have the opportunities and assistance to ... realize the American dream," Munoz told reporters on a conference call.
One bill would heighten standards for schools receiving G.I. Bill funds, while another would help protect G.I. Bill benefits for veterans whose schools close mid-term. A third, just introduced on Tuesday, would increase regulation of for-profit colleges, many of which target veterans.
"What we think this does is ramp up the accountability" of those schools, Munoz said, adding that it ensures "we are requiring a high-quality education for veterans that have served us well." (Reporting by Megan Cassella; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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A few thoughts:
- In state tuition for all veterans and family members is a good thing.
- Not sure what gives the President the authority to make this so.
- 10th Grade civics taught me that the legislative branch makes the laws and the executive branch enforces the laws. This smells a lot like the President making up his own laws (again).
- The only federally run colleges/universities that I am aware of are the service academies which already provide a free education to attendees. All other colleges/universities are private or state run. In the federal system that we have, by what authority does the federal government tell a state government or private organization how they must conduct business? Many people think the federal government is superior to state government and can order states what to do. This is incorrect. Read the Constitution. The federal government has only a few delineated authorities. All other authorities are reserved for the states.
- In state tuition for all veterans and family members is a good thing.
- Not sure what gives the President the authority to make this so.
- 10th Grade civics taught me that the legislative branch makes the laws and the executive branch enforces the laws. This smells a lot like the President making up his own laws (again).
- The only federally run colleges/universities that I am aware of are the service academies which already provide a free education to attendees. All other colleges/universities are private or state run. In the federal system that we have, by what authority does the federal government tell a state government or private organization how they must conduct business? Many people think the federal government is superior to state government and can order states what to do. This is incorrect. Read the Constitution. The federal government has only a few delineated authorities. All other authorities are reserved for the states.
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COL William Schafer (RET)
You are correct that the President does not have the authority to legislate, especially directing state actions. Howver, I disagree that the academies are free. The cost is a committment to service.
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COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM
COL Schafer, you are correct. I was using the term "free" to refer to the financial costs incurred by the individual and not to either the financial costs incurred by the state or the time costs incurred by the individual. Apologies for lax use of term.
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COL William Schafer (RET)
Tracking, I point out to contrast because the President and those like him are "literally" proposing free college creating another entitlement.
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COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM
"Free college" means the person does not pay but all taxpayers do. I think people value what they have to work for and earn. Give something to them for "free" and they generally value it less. Nothing wrong with a bit of work required on the part of the individual.
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This is proposed legislation, not a law.
The President does not have the authority, nor does Congress, to mandate that a public university set tuition rates in accordance with a federal mandate. This must be done at the state level. In order to do this, the law would have to threaten withholding federal funding in order to compel compliance. Of course, that is not what the President would announce.
Just in case you are unsure, you will see a lot of this kind of proposal in the coming months. They are not serious ideas, they are simply trying to generate election year issues. If the President really thought this was an issue he felt was important, it would have come up sometime in the past six years. Candidate Obama didn't propose this in 2007. President Obama didn't propose this in 2012, either. He had both houses of Congress in 2008-2010 and nary a peep about this issue.
Just saying.
The President does not have the authority, nor does Congress, to mandate that a public university set tuition rates in accordance with a federal mandate. This must be done at the state level. In order to do this, the law would have to threaten withholding federal funding in order to compel compliance. Of course, that is not what the President would announce.
Just in case you are unsure, you will see a lot of this kind of proposal in the coming months. They are not serious ideas, they are simply trying to generate election year issues. If the President really thought this was an issue he felt was important, it would have come up sometime in the past six years. Candidate Obama didn't propose this in 2007. President Obama didn't propose this in 2012, either. He had both houses of Congress in 2008-2010 and nary a peep about this issue.
Just saying.
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