Gov. Nikki Haley will visit USC Aiken today for the ceremonial signing of a bill that will allow veterans using the GI Bill to attend colleges in South Carolina without having to pay out-of-state tuition.
During an invitation-only event, Haley will sign Senate bill 391, a piece of legislation that dates to 2013 when veterans were contacting S.C. Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, about their education issues.
Young said in May that the extra expense with out-of-state tuition causes some veterans to decide not to attend or to defer enrollment. In addition, the GI Bill covers the cost of in-state tuition, but doesn't cover the difference in out-of-state fees and tuition.
"Passage of the bill will ensure that South Carolina is now in compliance with the federal requirement related to veterans using post-9/11 GI Bill benefits," Young said in May.
The bill was signed by the General Assembly last month; and, today, Haley will sign the bill at 1:30 p.m. at the Gregg-Graniteville Library, hosted by the school's Veteran and Military Student Success Center.
The military center recently was ranked as the No. 1 top public regional college for veterans in the South in U.S. News & World Report's the "2015 Best Colleges for Veterans."
In addition, Military Times publishes the top 100 "Best for Vets" universities in the nation, and USC Aiken ranked on this 2015 Best for Vets list as the No. 1 university in South Carolina.
Robert Murphy, director of the center, said the center's goal always has been to help veteran and military students as they transition from military life back into the civilian world.
"We believe with the passing of this bill, more students will be able to further their education at USC Aiken, and that our university will be able to make a difference as they successfully move forward from one career to the next," Murphy said.
Before the signing, Haley will be attending a power lunch hosted by the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce. According to a chamber press release, Haley "will share her views on state infrastructure and workforce development, as well as how our community can better support the state's priorities."
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.