Nixon signs bill to cut college costs for military members

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- People who move to Missouri and join the National Guard or Reserves will be eligible immediately for in-state tuition at Missouri colleges and universities under a new state law.

To get in-state tuition, students currently must get a full-time job or live in Missouri for a year and meet other requirements.

Under the bill signed Monday, interim Higher Education Commissioner Leroy Wade said students can move to Missouri and get the in-state tuition rate immediately if they join the National Guard or Reserves.

When the bill takes effect in August, public colleges and universities also won't be able to charge veterans more than $50 per credit hour before other scholarships are applied. Veterans can keep the leftover money.

State and federal scholarships now are applied first.