Bill
HB 1529
Adds Peace Corps service completion certification as a qualifying criterion for in-state tuition, enabling former volunteers to qualify as North Dakota resident students.
Status
- Introduced: December 5, 2024
- Committee action: Amendment adopted by Agriculture Committee (bill form 25.0952.01001), Feb. 6, 2025 (docketed in the 69th Legislative Assembly).
- Filed with Secretary of State: March 24 (recorded status provided).
(As always, consult the official state website for final enactment/effective‑date details.)
Purpose and intent
- To expand the statutory definition of “resident student” for tuition purposes under North Dakota law so that former Peace Corps volunteers can qualify for in‑state tuition at institutions in the North Dakota University System.
Key provision (substantive change)
- Amends and reenacts subsection 2 of ND Century Code § 15‑10‑19.1 (the list of categories that qualify as a “resident student” for tuition purposes) by adding a new paragraph (k). The added language reads, in effect:
- A person who is certified by a director of the Peace Corps as having completed service as a Peace Corps volunteer qualifies as a “resident student” for tuition purposes.
Context within existing law
- The statute already lists multiple categories of persons who qualify as resident for tuition (e.g., dependent children of residents, persons who have lived in the state 12 months, graduates of ND high schools, active duty military and dependents, beneficiaries and certain veterans, etc.). HB 1529 adds Peace Corps volunteer completion certification as an additional qualifying category.
Who is affected
- Primary beneficiaries: former Peace Corps volunteers who return to North Dakota (or establish a connection to the state) and seek in‑state tuition rates at North Dakota public colleges and universities.
- Secondary effects: public higher education institutions (tuition revenue/eligibility processing), university admissions and registrar staff (will need to verify Peace Corps completion certification), and financial aid administrators.
Anticipated impact and implementation
- Fiscal impact: likely minimal and dependent on the number of eligible Peace Corps alumni who enroll and claim the in‑state rate. No dollar amounts are specified in the bill. Administrative impact limited to verification procedures to confirm Peace Corps completion (requiring applicants to provide certification).
- Implementation: Universities will need to update residency/tuition policies and application checklists to include Peace Corps completion certification as acceptable documentation. Agencies or registrars may request guidance on acceptable forms of certification from the Peace Corps director.
Procedural/timing notes
- The bill amends an existing definitional provision (NDCC § 15‑10‑19.1(2)), so its effect is immediate upon the statute’s effective date once the bill becomes law. Verify the official enacted bill for the exact effective date (some bills take effect upon filing with the Secretary of State; others specify a date).
Text excerpt (new clause)
- Added clause (k): “An individual certified by a director of the Peace Corps as having completed service as a Peace Corps volunteer.”
Bottom line
- HB 1529 makes returning Peace Corps volunteers explicitly eligible for in‑state tuition in North Dakota by adding Peace Corps completion certification to the statutory residency categories. The change is narrow, targeted, and primarily administrative in effect.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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