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.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5826
SPONSOR: Slater TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to expanding eligibility
under the veterans tuition awards program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill will provide the means for all New York resident veterans of
the armed services of the United States, who by virtue of that service,
have earned the right, regardless of socio-economic status, to receive a
college education at a New York public or private institution of higher
learning and the opportunity to succeed in our global economy.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends subdivision 1 of section 669-a of the education law
to add a new paragraph d-1 which establishes; the definition of "veter-
an" to mean a person who (i) is a resident of the state; (ii) served in
the armed forces of the United States; (iii) was a resident 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 he or she served.
Section two amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 669-a of
the education law to include veterans, as defined in paragraph d-1 of
subdivision 1 of section 669-a of the education law, amongst those
eligible to receive veterans tuition awards program.
Section three establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
In 2017, New York enacted the Excelsior Scholarship program, which
expanded the Tuition Assistance Program by more than $1 billion, in an
effort to make college more affordable for New York State students.
Absent from the adopted program are provisions which would expand eligi-
bility to include all military veterans. These men and women have sacri-
ficed so much to defend our freedom, and it is only fitting that they
have an opportunity to further their education to better compete in the
global economy. This bill would expand the eligibility of the newly
established scholarship program to those proud men and women who serve
in the Armed Forces.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2017-2018: A8367A/ S6312B
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be Determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5826
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 23, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SLATER -- 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:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 669-a of the education law is
2 amended by adding a new paragraph d-1 to read as follows:
3 d-1. "Veteran" means a person who: (i) is a resident of the state;
4 (ii) served in the armed forces of the United States; (iii) was a resi-
5 dent of the state immediately prior to his or her entry into such armed
6 forces; and (iv) received an honorable discharge from the branch of the
7 armed forces of the United States in which he or she served.
8 § 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 669-a of the education
9 law, as amended by section 3 of part N of chapter 57 of the laws of
10 2008, is amended to read as follows:
11 a. Tuition awards are available for all Vietnam veterans, Persian Gulf
12 veterans, Afghanistan [and] veterans, other eligible combat veterans,
13 [as defined in subdivision one of this section] and veterans, who are
14 enrolled, pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision four of section six
15 hundred sixty-one of this part, in approved undergraduate or graduate
16 programs at degree granting institutions or enrolled in approved voca-
17 tional training programs and who apply for a tuition assistance program
18 award pursuant to section six hundred sixty-seven of this subpart.
19 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09806-01-3
