Texas House bill by Rep. Wilson mandates in-state tuition for ROTC and senior military college cadets

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Terry Wilson seeks to support students in ROTC programs and senior military colleges by mandating in-state tuition rates, aiming to reduce financial barriers for these participants, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 55 Democrats and 81 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Republican opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 10 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, while one Democrat voted against it.

Terry Wilson introduced the bill in the Texas House on Friday, March 14, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Wilson graduated from Texas A&M University in 1990 with a BS.

Wilson, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 20th House district, replacing previous state representative Marsha Farney.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to admission of and resident tuition rates and fees at public institutions of higher education for certain students in military-related programs’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that institutions of higher education in Texas provide in-state tuition rates to students who are enrolled in and maintain good standing in a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program or who are members of the corps of cadets at a senior military college. The provision is designed to support students participating in these military-related programs by easing their financial burdens. The changes are applicable from the registration period for the spring semester of 2026, with the Act taking effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 30, and was filed without the Governor’s signature on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.