Honor vets with tuition awards

Veterans Day was honored on Tuesday, November 11, and New York paid tribute to U.S. veterans in their own way with the help of the New York State Higher Education Services Corp. (HESC).
New York has raised the maximum statutory award available to the state’s combat veterans to the amount charged by the State University of New York under its resident undergraduate tuition.
The maximum statutory award, which falls under this veteran tuition award, now stands at just a little over $4,200 for the 2008-2009 school year.
Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf or in Afghanistan and were honorably discharged are eligible for this award. Additionally, individuals who served in the armed forces after February 28, 1961, were honorably discharged and were awarded either an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal or Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, are also eligible for this tuition award.
The Military Service Recognition Scholarship, formerly known as the MERIT scholarship, is available to children, spouses and dependents of those who passed away, became permanently disabled, or were declared missing in action on or after August 2, 1990. They must have been New York State residents at the time of any of these occurrences.
Under the Children of Veterans Awards, $450 is provided every year to students whose parent served in the armed forces and who was honorably discharged, is classified as a former prisoner of war or missing in action, has become disabled or deceased because of such service.
The veteran must be or have been a resident of the state at the time of death or when declared missing in action. Visit www.hesc.org for more information on NYS financial aid programs and www.gibill.va.gov for information regarding financial aid for active-duty members and veterans of US armed forces and their families.