Knoxville – The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees has approved a measure that will classify military-affiliated students— veterans, active-duty military personnel, reservists, Tennessee National Guard members, and Army and Air Force ROTC cadets— as Tennessee residents in order to attend a UT institution of their choosing at the in-state tuition rate, regardless of their residence of origin. The measure was adopted at the Board of Trustees’ annual meeting on June 24.
Earlier this spring, legislation authorizing public university boards to classify veterans and military-affiliated individuals as in-state residents was approved by the Tennessee General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee. This new benefit will be extended to students starting in Fall 2022.
“This legislation and the Board’s action positions our UT campuses across the state among the best places in the country for military-affiliated and veteran students, no matter where they live in this country,” UT System President Randy Boyd said. “These men and women have exhibited great courage in selflessly serving our country. It’s time for us to be of service to them.”
The UT System averages approximately 1,745 veterans, service members and dependents who are students on each of its campuses and institutes across the state.
UT campuses across the state are continually recognized for their support of the military. UT Knoxville was named a 2021-22 Military Friendly Gold School, which is the highest designation awarded by Military Friendly, a company that measures commitment, effort and success in creating opportunities for the military community. UT Chattanooga has a variety of veteran-support programs, from peer mentoring to specialized counseling services, and a national innovation and entrepreneurial program that offers a highly innovative immersion program built around hands-on learning, personalized interaction and exposure to inspiring role models. UT Martin was also named a 2021-22 Military Friendly Gold School for their support provided to campus veterans. In addition to the Gold award, UT Martin was recently named among the 2021 “Best for Vets” by the Military Times. UT Martin was also designated a Tennessee Veterans Education Transition Support “VETS Campus,” a designation that helps men and women who have served in the military achieve their post-military educational goals. The UT Health Science Center in Memphis was also designated a “VETS Campus” in 2015.