Combat vets ask Missouri to expand education funds

Intro: Missouri funds college for combat veterans, but here's the catch -- you have to be a Missouri resident prior to enlisting.

One veteran says that has to change.

Brian Jarvis in Jefferson City has more.

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Air Force veteran Daniel Sewell served in Afghanistan as a munitions inspector. Now he's an industrial engineering student at Mizzou.

But Sewell is not eligible for the same scholarship fund Missouri offers to other combat vets because he lived in Arkansas before joining the military.

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Description: "I think this kind of may hurt the state of Missouri's chances for recruiting veterans to come back to the state and receive their education because of the potential of losing veterans to other states such as Illinois."

Sewell's testimony before the Veterans Committee reached at least one lawmaker.

St. Joseph Republican Representative Rob Schaff is sponsoring a bill that would expand eligibility for the scholarship fund.

From Jefferson City, I'm Brian Jarvis.

Intro: A lawmaker says Missouri need to provide education benefits to all combat vets, not just those who were state residents prior to enlisting.

Brian Jarvis has more at the state Capitol.

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Under the Missouri Returning Heroes' Education Act, combat veterans are eligible for a state scholarship fund that provides thousands of dollars for higher education.

But what about combat vets who lived in other states before joining the military, and now attend Missouri schools?

St. Joseph Republican Representative Rob Schaaf posed the same question to the Veterans Committee.

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Description: "They want to take advantage of this but they can't, because of those little words there on line six that said they had to be a Missouri resident when first entering the military."

Schaff is sponsoring a bill that would expand the scholarship fund to veterans who meet only their university's requirements for Missouri residency.

From the state Capitol, I'm Brian Jarvis.