LANSING – A Monroe student who had initially been denied in-state tuition at the University of Michigan because his father was transferred to a military installation in Illinois has now been granted residency status. State Representative Kate Ebli (D-Monroe), who began intervening on behalf of 20-year-old Joshua Guedesse after learning about the unfair situation, applauded U-M officials for their swift action this week.
"When men and women volunteer to commit their lives to military service, they are not the only ones making sacrifices for our country – their family members make sacrifices as well," Ebli said. "I was disheartened to learn that Joshua Guedesse, who has worked hard in school and shown his commitment to stay in our state, was going to be penalized because he is the child of an active service member. I appreciate the attentiveness I received from University of Michigan officials when I began contacting them about Josh's situation, and I am impressed by their swift action in granting him residency status."
The Detroit Free Press on Wednesday detailed how Guedesse had been denied in-state residency at the University of Michigan – even though he graduated from high school in our state, attended community college here and now lives in Monroe. Guedesse's father, a U.S. Coast Guard warrant officer, was transferred to an Illinois post last year. Ebli immediately contacted University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and others.
Following phone calls and late-night e-mail exchanges, Ebli learned that Guedesse is now slated to receive in-state tuition rates.
"The University of Michigan deserves great credit for granting Josh residency and beginning a review of the gap that has existed in its policy," Ebli said. "I will work to ensure that other students in our state are not faced with this challenge. As a state, we need to make sure protections are in place so that other dependents of military families do not have to go through this fight. When students attend high school in a state and work hard to get into a public college, they deserve to qualify as in-state students even if their military parents are later transferred."
Ebli intends to introduce legislation later in this Legislative session that would protect children of active-duty military personnel from being unfairly denied in-state tuition.
"I am paying my own way through college, and the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition would have meant the difference between being able to attend my first-choice school or having to go elsewhere," Guedesse said. "Michigan is my home, and I am grateful that Representative Kate Ebli worked so hard on my behalf to make it possible for me to study at the University of Michigan."