Iowa House lawmakers unanimously approved legislation Wednesday that would provide certain military members with a waiver for their public university education.
House File 2491 would require the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to waive tuition and mandatory fees for veterans with a “permanent service-connected disability rating” of 100%, as determined by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
“This is a good bill,” said Rep. Ken Croken, D-Davenport, during debate. “It is a well-deserved thank you to our veterans, and I support it.”
Eligible veterans must be enrolled at a state university and have exhausted, or been found as ineligible for, “any other available federal or state sources of financial assistance for such tuition and fees,” the bill stated.
Disability ratings are set by the veteran affairs department based on the severity of disability, the department stated online, characterizing how much the disability lowers a veteran’s health and ability to function. The department uses this rating to set disability compensation rates and eligibility for other programs.
Bill floor manager Rep. Matthew Rinker, R-Burlington, said he agreed with Croken’s comments and thanked him.
“I wish we could do more,” Rinker said. “This is a step in the right direction.”
With a 97-0 vote from the House, the legislation will be sent to the Iowa Senate for consideration.
