This week, state Reps. Daisy Morales, D-Orlando, and Christopher Benjamin, D-Miami Gardens, were able to get their bill helping disabled veterans with education benefits through the Local Administration & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.
The subcommittee cleared the bill without opposition though it still has stops at the Post-Secondary Education and Lifelong Learning Subcommittee, the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee and the State Affairs Committee.
“This bill will provide disabled veterans the opportunity to receive certain federal educational assistance benefits. This bill would allow those veterans who are deemed eligible the opportunity to receive awards for remaining cost of tuition and fees at state universities and the Florida College System institutions,” the lawmakers’ offices noted.
“It’s great to work as partners to help disabled veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country with educational opportunities to eliminate challenges they face when they have given so much for our country and allow them to support their families,” Morales said.
“Today we fought for Florida veterans who have been disabled as a result of being deployed to have their full tuition paid. As a veteran this bill is personal for me and fills me up with happiness to see it pass unanimously in its first committee,” Benjamin said.
State Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, has introduced an identical bill in the upper chamber.
