Current military members attending Georgia’s public colleges and universities will not have to pay mandatory student fees under a waiver approved Wednesday by the state’s Board of Regents.

The waiver applies to active duty service members using military tuition assistance programs to attend institutions within the University System of Georgia.

The tuition assistance cannot be used to pay for the mandatory fees, said Cecil Staton, the system’s vice president for extended education.

“The waiver eliminates a major barrier for students to come to USG institutions,” Staton said.

Georgia is home to about 100,000 active duty military, including guardsmen and reservists, and ranks fifth in the nation for states with the most active duty service members.

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