OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond, secured passage Monday afternoon of legislation supporting student veterans.

House Bill 1801 creates the Veterans Higher Education Priority Enrollment Act, which requires all institutions within the Oklahoma System of Higher Education to grant priority enrollment and course registration for veterans. The students must be Oklahoma residents or stationed in Oklahoma.

“House Bill 1801 broadens the scope of priority enrollment in higher education to include our hard-working student veterans and military members,” Miller said. “These brave men and women sacrificed to serve their country and deserve the same opportunity for priority enrollment as other groups of students.”

Public institutions of higher education in our state currently allow priority enrollment for certain groups such as student athletes, honor students and international students. HB1801 would grant the same opportunity to student veterans utilizing U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs education benefits.

Approximately 10,000 student veterans attend public institutions in Oklahoma and each contributes, on average, nearly $11,000 to their respective institution.

HB2801 passed the House 98-1 and now is eligible to be considered in the Senate, where it is authored by Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City.