H.R. 357 proposes to amend title 38, United States Code, to require courses of education provided by public institutions of higher education that are approved for purposes of the educational assistance programs administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to charge veterans tuition and fees at the in-State tuition rate in addition to other changes to assist veterans.

With the current iteration of the Chapter 33 G.I. Bill, veterans attending a public institutions of higher learning are only eligible to receive the in-state tuition rate for the institution that they are attending.  Veterans who have recently moved to another state to attend college, or who are attending public schools in another state via distance learning, are having to pay the difference between the in-state and out-of-state tuition rates out of pocket, or through student loans.  Colleges and universities that utilize the yellow-ribbon program can help to reduce this difference; however it is not utilized by all schools, and most schools have a yearly limit for this fund.  This amendment to the G.I. Bill will, in effect, cause these institutions to hold veterans to the in-state tuition rate or lose their VA certification for courses.  This is a monumental step in increasing the fairness of the G.I. Bill and helping veterans acheive their goals of higher education.