669-A - Veterans tuition awards program.

§  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 twenty-eighth day of  February,  nineteen  hundred  sixty-one,  to  and  including the seventh day of May, nineteen  hundred seventy-five, and  (iii)  who  was  discharged  therefrom  under  honorable  conditions, including but not limited to honorable discharge,  discharge under honorable conditions, or general discharge.    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 discharged therefrom under honorable conditions, including  but not  limited  to  honorable  discharge,  discharge  under  honorable  conditions, or general discharge.    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  discharged therefrom under honorable conditions, including but  not  limited  to  honorable   discharge,   discharge   under   honorable  conditions, or general discharge.    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   discharged   under   honorable  conditions,  including but not limited to honorable discharge, discharge  under honorable conditions, or general discharge.    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 academicyears, 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.