S26 has a strong interest in applying to Pitt this fall. Previously I had assumed it would not be affordable as it’s fairly expensive OOS.
In-State tuition is really interesting though. I was unable to find a comparable webpage on the Pitt site- does anyone know that Pitt would apply in-state tuition for dependents of veterans?
Look around in Benefits | Office of Veterans Services or contact them directly on your situation.
Benefits | Office of Veterans Services).&text=Scholarships%20and%20various%20awards%20are,the%20Office%20of%20Veterans%20Services.
It appears that they offer in state tuition to dependents of veterans who are eligible for VA benefits. I would encourage you to contact them and find out for sure whether your child qualifies.
Out-of-State students who are eligible for VA education benefits (and have a “Certificate of Eligibility” from the VA) can have their tuition adjusted to the in-state rate. In order for this change to occur, please submit a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility to the Office of Veterans Services.
If you look at the act by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, then yes, your S26 would qualify for in-state tuition as the dependent of a veteran. See here: 2023 Act 14 - The Official Website of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
…however, FYI, we had to request the in-state tuition. There was no notification that this existed or any reaching out to us by Penn State that I can recall.
So I originally posted this as a reply in a different thread, here: Penn State Thread
That thread was specific to Penn State but linked to the Pennsylvania legislation that @LostInSpace5 provided above. In addition, that thread linked to a benefits page on the Penn State website that provided instructions on how applicants could determine their eligibility for in-state tuition, including the documentation that would be necessary.
The Pitt website is not laid out as nice. I ended up emailing them to request clarity on the topic. They got back to me quickly, but the answer was… not what I was expecting. Here is their response to me, in full (emphasis mine):
Thank you for reaching out regarding this. We are aware of how other universities in Pennsylvania have interpreted this legislation, but based on the language of this document (attached), public universities in Pennsylvania will provide tuition at the in-state rates if the student is eligible for any of the following VA education benefits, which I have copied and pasted from the document:
“(a.4) Eligibility.–A veteran and his spouse and dependent children or any other individual shall be charged a resident tuition rate or local sponsor rate as provided for under this act if the individual is eligible to receive benefits under any of the following:
(1) 10 U.S.C. Chs. 1606 (relating to educational assistance for members of the selected reserve) and 1607 (relating to educational assistance for reserve component members supporting contingency operations and certain other operations).
(2) 38 U.S.C. Ch. 30 (relating to all-volunteer force educational assistance program).
(3) 38 U.S.C. Ch. 31 (relating to training and rehabilitation for veterans with service-connected disabilities).
(4) 38 U.S.C. Ch. 33 (relating to post-9/11 educational assistance).
(a.5) Additional eligibility.–A child, a spouse or a surviving spouse who is eligible to receive benefits under 38 U.S.C. Ch. 35 (relating to survivors’ and dependents’ educational assistance) shall also be charged a resident tuition rate or local sponsor rate under the appropriate terms and conditions of subsection (a.1), (a.2) or (a.3).”
In accordance with this legislation, the University of Pittsburgh will provide resident tuition if the student is eligible for any of those benefits. Please let us know if you have any additional questions regarding this.
So clear as mud, right? How helpful. My interpretation: Pitt will provide in-state rates to military dependents that qualify for passed-down GI Bill benefits only. It seems that Penn State has a more generous interpretation of this legislation than Pitt…
Solution: your S26 attends Penn State!
Kidding ofc, but I’m really surprised that Pitt wouldn’t back the act more broadly.
I just find it interesting that the same rules are applied differently.
Utah has similar legislation regarding in-state tuition for military dependents. But it’s applied equally to all Utah public universities. I assumed it would be the same for Pennsylvania.
It can be more expansive than that. If
One of these descriptions must be true for the Veteran or service member:
- The Veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability, or
- The Veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability, or
- The service member died in the line of duty, or
- The service member is missing in action or was captured in the line of duty by a hostile force for more than 90 days, or
- The service member was forcibly detained (held) or interned in the line of duty by a foreign entity for more than 90 days, or
- The service member is in the hospital or getting outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability
Then dependents can get
What benefits can I get?
You may be able to get a monthly payment to help you cover the cost of school or your expenses while you’re participating in on-the-job training or an apprenticeship.
Check the current payment rates for DEA
If your school or training started before August 1, 2018, you may be able to get benefits for up to 45 months.
If your school or training started on or after August 1, 2018, you may be able to get benefits for up to 36 months.
Note: You may also get educational and career counseling.
So if you’re eligible to get those payments for up to 36 months, then that is generally enough to qualify for in-state tuition rates at pretty much any public university in the country and is what Pitt is referencing under Ch 35 benefits. I haven’t heard of a school that switches from in-state tuition to out-of-state tuition once those 36 months are completed, if the student was granted in-state tuition via the benefit, though I suppose it is technically possible to do so.
Here is the source for the quotes above: