Expands the veterans tuition awards program to include all persons who were honorably discharged and were residents of the state before and after serving in the armed forces of the United States; provides veterans an award equal to the in-state tuition paid at a state university for each semester the veteran is engaged in undergraduate, graduate or vocational study.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1298
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SLATER, BENDETT -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to expanding eligibility
under the veterans tuition awards program
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 669-a of the education law is
amended by adding a new paragraph d-1 to read as follows:
D-1. "VETERAN" MEANS A PERSON WHO: (I) IS A RESIDENT OF THE STATE;
(II) SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES; (III) WAS A RESI-
DENT OF THE STATE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO HIS OR HER ENTRY INTO SUCH ARMED
FORCES; AND (IV) RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE BRANCH OF THE
ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH THEY SERVED.
§ 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 669-a of the education
law, as amended by chapter 453 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read
as follows:
a. Tuition awards are available for all other eligible veterans, as
defined in subdivision one of this section, AND VETERANS who are
enrolled, pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision four of section six
hundred sixty-one of this part, in approved undergraduate or graduate
programs at degree granting institutions or enrolled in approved voca-
tional training programs and who apply for a tuition assistance program
award, for up to the equivalent of eight full-time semesters, pursuant
to section six hundred sixty-seven of this subpart.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03836-01-5
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