Legislators grant college tuition waivers to soldiers’ kin
From the Beaverton Valley Times
Spouses and children of Oregon veterans killed or severely disabled in the War on Terror were given a gift Friday with the passage of Senate Bill 1066.
The education package authorized college tuition waivers at Oregon universities and Oregon Health and Science University for dependents of veterans killed or 100 percent disabled in military service after Sept. 11, 2001.
The tuition waiver will allow qualified students to take courses free of charge when classes are not at full enrollment for up to four years toward a bachelor’s degree and two years of graduate studies.
“I can think of no greater gift from the state of Oregon than free college tuition for orphans and widows of veterans,” said Sen. Mark Hass, a Beaverton Democrat and member of the Senate Education Committee who worked to craft the bill.
“It’s a remarkable gesture to a deserving group. We can never mend their broken hearts, but we can offer them an opportunity to transform their lives and go on to become successful.”
