Veterans who want to go to college may get some more financial help if Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a bill passed by the state legislature earlier this year.
The Veterans Tuition Awards Program bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-Marcy, would make more New York resident veterans eligible for tuition assistance from the state.
Veterans, advocates and local officials joined Buttenschon at a press conference on Wednesday at the Veterans Outreach Center in Utica for a statewide action day to draw attention to the bill and its current state of limbo.
The bill passed both the state Senate and the Assembly unanimously in June, but Hochul has yet to sign it.
The existing tuition program pays up to the average SUNY tuition — $7,070 this school year — for veterans who meet certain qualifications to go to college, graduate school or a vocational training program in the state. To qualify, veterans must have lived in New York for at least 12 months before the term starts.
And they must have served in one of the following:
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In Indochina between Feb. 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975.
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In the Persian Gulf on or sometime after Aug. 2, 1990.
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In Afghanistan during hostilities on or sometime after Sept. 1, 2001.
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During hostilities in some part of the world after Feb. 28, 1961, earning an Armed Forces, Naval or Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal.
“The Veterans Tuition Assistance Program should be for all veterans that served our great nation,” Buttenschon said in a statement. “The legislation ensures that all of our veterans have the ae academic opportunities.”
Nearly 800,000 veterans in the state will qualify for the program if Hochul signs the bill, according to Buttenschon’s office.
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The bill is an integral part of her push to make college and higher education more affordable for New Yorkers, Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D-Albany, chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Higher Education, said in a statement.
“Enabling veterans to access tuition assistance will allow more to attend college and university and attain new skills that assist them in starting a career, business or otherwise,” she said. “Veterans experience higher rates of financial insecurity and homelessness for a variety of reasons once they return and it’s our responsibility to ensure we’re offering affordable options for those pursuing a higher education once they return from service.”
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: New York’s veteran tuition bill sits on Gov. Hochul’s desk
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