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SB2094 • 2026

Education, Higher

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to higher education.

Children Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Crowe, Reedy
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about the financial impact on public institutions.

Tennessee Higher Education Tuition Classification Act

This act changes Tennessee's higher education laws to classify military spouses as in-state students for tuition purposes if they live in Tennessee while enrolled, regardless of their residency status.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires public institutions to classify the spouse of a service member who has not resided in Tennessee for at least one year as an in-state student for tuition purposes if the spouse resides in this state while enrolled and meets other criteria.
  • Expands eligibility for in-state tuition rates to include dependents of active-duty military personnel or veterans residing outside of Tennessee.
  • Changes governing boards' ability from allowing to requiring them to provide in-state tuition rates to military-affiliated individuals.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Military spouses and their children attending public institutions of higher education in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Military-affiliated
Active-duty military personnel, reservists, members of the national guard, reserve officer training corps program cadets, and dependents of active-duty military personnel or veterans.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact financial impact on public institutions is uncertain as it depends on how many additional students will be eligible for in-state tuition rates versus those who would have been charged out-of-state rates.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1789

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain students are classified for tuition purposes at Tennessee's institutions of higher education.

  • Adds new subsection (d) to Section 49-7-168, allowing spouses of service members who meet specific criteria to be classified as in-state students starting from the 2027-2028 academic year.
  • Modifies Section 49-7-1303 by changing the definition of 'military-affiliated' individuals.
  • Adds new subsection (c) to Section 49-7-1304, allowing veterans and military-affiliated individuals who meet certain criteria to be classified as Tennessee residents for tuition purposes starting from the 2027-2028 academic year.
  • The amendment text does not provide specific details on how these changes will be implemented or enforced, which may require further clarification.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2094

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain students are classified for tuition purposes at Tennessee's institutions of higher education.

  • Adds new subsection (d) to Section 49-7-168, allowing spouses of service members who meet specific criteria to be classified as in-state students starting from the 2027-2028 academic year.
  • Modifies Section 49-7-1303 by changing the definition of 'military-affiliated' individuals.
  • Adds new subsection (c) to Section 49-7-1304, allowing veterans and military-affiliated individuals who meet certain criteria to be classified as Tennessee residents for tuition purposes starting from the 2027-2028 academic year.
  • The amendment text does not provide specific details on how these changes will be implemented or enforced, which may require further clarification.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee / Behind Budget

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/7/2026

  5. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  6. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/7/2026

  7. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  8. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  10. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/31/2026

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 7, Nays 0 PNV 0

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/24/2026

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  14. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/18/2026

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/18/2026

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  17. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2026

  18. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  19. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  20. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Higher Education Subcommittee

  21. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  22. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  23. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  24. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1789
By Reedy

SENATE BILL 2094
By Crowe
SB2094
010448
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to higher education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-168(b), is amended by deleting
the language "49-8-104" and substituting instead the language "49-8-102, 49-8-104,".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-168, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(d) Notwithstanding §§ 49-8-102, 49-8-104, and 49-9-105, an institution of higher
education in this state shall classify a student who is the spouse of a service member
who is a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident of the Unites States, but who
has not resided in this state for the one-year period described in subdivision (c)(1)(B), as
an in-state student for tuition purposes if the spouse:
(1)
(A) Is a United States citizen; or
(B) Is a lawful permanent resident of the United States;
(2) Is accepted for admission to the institution;
(3) Enrolls as a student in the institution;
(4) Resides in this state while enrolled in the institution; and
(5) Maintains continuous enrollment in the institution.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-1303, is amended by deleting
subdivision (1) and substituting instead the following:

- 2 - 010448

(1) "Military-affiliated" means active-duty military personnel, reservists, members
of the national guard, reserve officer training corps program cadets, and dependents of
active-duty military personnel or veterans;
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-1304(b), is amended by
deleting the language "may classify" and substituting instead "shall classify".
SECTION 5. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to the 2026-2027 academic year and each academic year thereafter.