The Office of the Registrar (RO) and University Veteran Services (UVS) have spent the past few months updating residency review processes in response to a new state law that makes in-state tuition rates available for more veterans.

2025 Wisconsin Act 155, which Gov. Tony Evers signed into law in April, updated the state’s residency for tuition law (Wis. Stat. § 36.27(2)(b)4) to remove the requirement that a veteran had to be a Wisconsin resident when entering active duty to receive an in-state tuition rate. To qualify under the law now, an eligible veteran must simply be a Wisconsin resident and physically living in Wisconsin at the time they register for classes at a Universities of Wisconsin institution.

Implementing the change

Rolling out the change at UW–Madison required a collaborative effort between the RO and UVS. Together, the offices identified more than 100 currently enrolled student veterans who may qualify under the revised statute and developed new processes to assess incoming veteran applicants.

The teams also updated processes and training to identify appropriate documentation requirements, understand military records and service documentation, and ensure the law is applied accurately and consistently.

Impacts

Notably, residency specialists in the RO now review and determine whether a veteran’s military service makes them eligible for the tuition exemption.

Previously, the RO relied on the Department of Veterans Affairs to verify a veteran’s service under the state’s GI Bill and then only needed to confirm the veteran’s Wisconsin residency. This change was necessary since eligibility requirements for the Wisconsin GI Bill and the residency for tuition law are now different.

Veterans do not need to do anything differently when submitting a residency application. The residency review process already had an option for a veteran to indicate that they may qualify under the residency for tuition statute; the language on the application has been updated to reflect the law change.