A resolution to lower active duty tuition for armed forces has passed through student government and is now being prepped to face the faculty senate.
The current Director of Academic Affairs Anthony Hinojosa is working to lower the tuition so that active duty undergraduates can afford their education. Many of the active duty students have families and bills to pay, much like other non-traditional students.
“They like the education here and the programs that are offered for them,” Hinojosa said. “But when I asked them about tuition, they said it was a little expensive and they have to dig into their Montgomery GI bills.”
There are only 35 active duty armed forces members at WSU, which is a surprisingly low number for being next to a large Air Force base, according to Hinojosa.
“Since they are using their GI bill, that means they’re dwindling away the time they have following them getting out for future education,” Hinojosa said. “So the 36 months they receive is actually just coming down and down and down…a lot of people just don’t have that extra $2,000 to pay in tuition.”
The resolution passed swiftly through student government, but more data, numbers and statistics are needed to bring the initiative to faculty senate.
“Once I implement that data into the resolution, it will be sent up to faculty senate and then hopefully voted on and approved,” Hinojosa said.
