§ 669-a. Veterans tuition awards program. 1. As used in this section,
the following terms shall have the following meanings:

a. "Vietnam veteran" means (i) a person who is a resident of this
state, (ii) who served in the armed forces of the United States in
Indochina at any time from the first day of November, nineteen hundred
fifty-five, to and including the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred
seventy-five, and (iii) who was either discharged therefrom under
honorable conditions, including but not limited to honorable discharge,
discharge under honorable conditions, or general discharge, or has a
qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the veterans'
services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or
dishonorable from such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as
defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a
discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.

b. "Persian Gulf veteran" means (i) a person who is a resident of this
state (ii) who served in the armed forces of the United States in the
hostilities that occurred in the Persian Gulf from the second day of
August, nineteen hundred ninety through the end of such hostilities, and
(iii) who was either discharged therefrom under honorable conditions,
including but not limited to honorable discharge, discharge under
honorable conditions, or general discharge, or has a qualifying
condition, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and
has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one
of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than
bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.

c. "Afghanistan veteran" means (i) a person who is a resident of this
state (ii) who served in the armed forces of the United States in the
hostilities that occurred in Afghanistan from the eleventh day of
September, two thousand one, to the end of such hostilities, and (iii)
who was either discharged therefrom under honorable conditions,
including but not limited to honorable discharge, discharge under
honorable conditions, or general discharge, or has a qualifying
condition, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and
has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one
of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than
bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.

d. "Other eligible combat veteran" means: an individual who (i) is a
resident of this state, (ii) served in the armed forces of the United
States in hostilities that occurred after February twenty-eighth,
nineteen hundred sixty-one, as evidenced by their receipt of an Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, or Marine Corps
Expeditionary Medal, and (iii) was either discharged under honorable
conditions, including but not limited to honorable discharge, discharge
under honorable conditions, or general discharge, or has a qualifying
condition, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and
has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one
of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than
bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.

e. "Part time study" means enrollment for at least three but less than
twelve semester hours per semester, or the equivalent, in an approved
undergraduate or graduate program.

f. "Approved vocational training programs" means programs offered by
agencies approved by the commissioner for funding pursuant to this
section. The commissioner shall approve only such non-credit programs
which are at least three hundred twenty clock hours in length, and which
meet standards of instructional quality established in regulations by
the commissioner. These standards shall include, but not be limited to,
qualifications of administrative and instructional personnel, quality of
facilities and equipment, recordkeeping, admission, grading, attendance,
and record of placement of completers which meets standards of
acceptability as established by the commissioner.

2. a. Tuition awards are available for all Vietnam, Persian Gulf,
Afghanistan and other eligible combat veterans, as defined in
subdivision one of this section, 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 vocational training programs and
who apply for a tuition assistance program award pursuant to section six
hundred sixty-seven of this subpart.

b. Eligibility for awards under this section shall be established as
of the date the application is received by the corporation. All eligible
recipients shall receive an award in an amount as set forth in
subdivision four of this section.

3. a. No recipient shall receive awards for more than eight semesters
of full time undergraduate study, or the equivalent of four academic
years, or, if an undergraduate program normally requires five academic
years of full time study, for more than ten semesters of full time
study, or the equivalent of five academic years. Recipients enrolled in
a program of remedial study conforming to the provisions of this
article, approved by the commissioner in a degree granting institution,
and intended to culminate in an undergraduate degree shall be considered
as enrolled in a program normally requiring five years. No recipient
enrolled in an approved vocational training program shall receive awards
for more than four semesters of full-time study or the equivalent of two
academic years of full-time study.

b. No recipient shall receive awards for more than sixteen semesters
of part time undergraduate study as defined in subdivision one, or the
equivalent of eight academic years of part time study, or, if an
undergraduate program normally requires five academic years of full time
study, for more than twenty semesters of part time study, or the
equivalent of ten academic years. Recipients enrolled in a program of
remedial study conforming to the provisions of this chapter, approved by
the commissioner in a degree granting institution, and intended to
culminate in an undergraduate degree shall be considered as enrolled in
a program normally requiring five years. No recipient enrolled in an
approved vocational training program shall receive awards for more than
eight semesters of part-time study or the equivalent of four academic
years of part-time study.

c. No recipient shall receive awards for more than six semesters of
full time study, or the equivalent of three academic years, for graduate
study. No recipient shall receive awards for more than twelve semesters
of part time graduate study as defined in subdivision one of this
section, or the equivalent of six academic years of part time graduate
study.

4. Every recipient shall receive an award equal to the amount of
undergraduate tuition for residents of New York state charged by the
state university of New York or actual tuition charged, whichever is
less, for each semester, or the equivalent, of full time study, or a
pro-rated amount for part-time study; provided, however, that such award
shall not be reduced by any benefits available under the federal
Montgomery GI Bill act of 1984 or the federal Pell grant program
pursuant to section one thousand seventy-a of title twenty of the United
States code.