S118 - Military and Veteran Support Act. (SL 2025-72)

Overview: Part III of S.L. 2025‑72 (Senate Bill 118) prohibits constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina (UNC) from denying admissions to any applicant solely on the basis of the applicant's indication that he or she is serving or intends to serve in the uniformed service.

The Board of Governors of UNC must adopt a policy requiring constituent institutions to provide enrollment deferment for members of the uniformed service and their spouses if the deferment is requested at least 30 days prior to enrollment in a constituent institution. Members of the reserve Armed Forces and their spouses must be granted deferments of at least two years after entry into the reserve Armed Forces. All other members and their spouses must be granted deferments of at least five years after entry into the uniformed service.

This Part requires that any qualifying veteran admitted to a constituent institution of UNC or a community college under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Community Colleges be charged the in‑State tuition rate and applicable fees for enrollment without having to satisfy the 12‑month residency requirement. A qualifying veteran is an individual who (i) served not less than 90 days in the Armed Forces, (ii) was honorably discharged, and (iii) meets at least one of the following:

• Graduated from a high school in North Carolina on or after January 1, 2004.
• Served active duty in the Armed Forces with a permanent station in North Carolina for at least 90 continuous days.
• Was awarded a Purple Heart.

This Part became effective July 9, 2025, and applies beginning with the 2025‑2026 academic year.