Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday signed into law a bill that grants the lower in-state tuition rates to people who return to Kansas after being away for five years. The previous limit was one year.

State Rep. Ann Mah, D-Topeka, a sponsor of the bill, said granting lower tuition to more returning Kansans will help plug the brain drain.

“We were told that over the next several years we would have to import thousands of degreed workers,” Mah said earlier this year. “If we cannot meet these demands, we face losing jobs.”

The measure also increases the stipend for students participating in the Medical Student Loan program from a maximum of $1,500 per month to $2,000 per month.