TN HB1789

Spouses of U.S. service members who are citizens or lawful permanent residents qualify for in-state tuition at Tennessee higher education institutions, even without meeting the one-year residency requirement, provided they reside in the state and maintain continuous enrollment.

Expands the definition of "military-affiliated" to include active-duty military, reservists, National Guard members, ROTC cadets, and dependents of active-duty personnel or veterans.

Changes military-affiliated student tuition classification from discretionary ("may classify") to mandatory ("shall classify") for in-state tuition purposes.

Effective July 1, 2026, applying to the 2026-2027 academic year and thereafter.