A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to require military admissions deferment for certain persons admitted to constituent institutions of the university of north carolina and to provide in‑state tuition to certain honorably discharged veterans.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

part i. military admissions deferment
SECTION 1.  Article 1 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 116‑11.5.  Admissions of military personnel.
(a)	Definitions. – For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)	Armed Forces. – The United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force.
(2)	Constituent institution of The University of North Carolina. – A constituent institution of higher education of The University of North Carolina, as defined in G.S. 116‑2(4), excluding the constituent high school, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
(3)	Eligible applicant. – A person who has been admitted to a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina and is one of the following:
a.	A member of the uniformed service.
b.	The spouse of a member of the uniformed service.
(4)	Reserve Armed Forces. – The reserve components of any of the Armed Forces.
(5)	Uniformed service. – Any of the following:
a.	Armed Forces.
b.	Reserve Armed Forces.
c.	The Merchant Marine.
(b)	Deferment. – The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall adopt a policy requiring constituent institutions to allow eligible applicants to defer admission to a constituent institution, if the eligible applicant provides notice to the constituent institution at least 30 days prior to enrollment, as follows:
(1)	For eligible applicants who are members of the reserve Armed Forces, for a period of at least two years after the member accepts entry into the reserve Armed Forces.
(2)	For all other eligible applicants, for a period of at least five years after the member accepts entry into active‑duty service.
(c)	Evaluation of Certain Applications. – A constituent institution of The University of North Carolina shall not deny admission to any applicant who indicates his or her intention to serve in the uniformed service or whose application indicates that the applicant may serve in the uniformed service.
(d)	Federal Law. – Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede federal law or to require a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina to violate federal law, including the requirements for readmission of members of the uniformed service provided in 34 C.F.R. § 668.18."

part ii. in‑state tuition for honorably discharged veterans
SECTION 2.  G.S. 116‑143.3 reads as rewritten:
"§ 116‑143.3.  Tuition of qualifying federal services members, their spouses and dependents, and certain qualifying veterans.
(a)	Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section:
…
(2)	Armed Forces. – The United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force; the North Carolina National Guard; and any reserve component of the foregoing.
…
(5)	Qualifying veteran. – A person who meets all of the following criteria:
a.	Served active duty for not less than 90 days in the Armed Forces.
b.	Received an Honorable Discharge from service.
c.	Meets at least one of the following criteria:
1.	Graduated from high school in North Carolina on or after January 1, 2004.
2.	Served active duty in the Armed Forces with a permanent duty station in North Carolina for at least 90 continuous days.
3.	Was awarded a Purple Heart.
…
(c2)	Any qualifying veteran admitted to an institution of higher education, as defined in G.S. 116‑143.1(a)(3), but not qualifying as a resident for tuition purposes under G.S. 116‑143.1, shall be charged the in‑State tuition rate and applicable mandatory fees for enrollments.
(d)	The person applying for the benefit of this section has the burden of proving entitlement to the benefit.
(e)	A person charged less than the out‑of‑state tuition rate solely by reason of this section shall not, during the period of receiving that benefit, qualify for or be the basis of conferring the benefit of G.S. 116‑143.1(g), (h), (i), (j), (k), or (l)."

part iii. effective date
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2025‑2026 academic year.