AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 2 of section 15-10-19.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to resident student tuition for peace corps volunteers.
Summary
HB 1529 amends North Dakota’s resident-student tuition statute to add Peace Corps volunteers to the list of individuals who qualify for resident tuition purposes. Under the bill, a person certified by a Peace Corps director as having completed service as a Peace Corps volunteer would be treated as a resident student for tuition classification at North Dakota higher education institutions.
The bill makes a targeted change to section 15-10-19.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, which already covers a range of residency-based tuition exceptions and special categories, including military members, veterans, certain dependents and spouses, North Dakota high school graduates, and covered individuals under federal education law. HB 1529 expands that list by adding a new subsection for Peace Corps service, thereby reducing tuition costs for eligible returning volunteers.
Impact
The bill directly affects tuition classification rules for the North Dakota University System by requiring institutions to treat qualifying Peace Corps volunteers as resident students for tuition purposes. This can lower the cost of attendance for those individuals and align their tuition treatment with other groups granted resident status under state law. The amendment changes only the residency-for-tuition statute and does not alter general state residency rules outside the higher education context.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House 88-0 and the Senate 47-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The lack of recorded committee discussion or opposition suggests the measure was viewed as a narrow, supportive adjustment for a service-based population.
Contention
There is no recorded substantive contention in the available materials. The bill’s only notable policy question is whether Peace Corps volunteers should receive the same resident tuition treatment already extended to military personnel, veterans, and other specified groups. The unanimous votes suggest that any such issue was not politically divisive and that support for recognizing Peace Corps service was shared across the Legislature.