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Vietnam/Persian Gulf Veterans Tuition Award

This program provides financial assistance to help Vietnam Veterans and Persian Gulf Veterans studying on either a full-time or part-time basis meet tuition charges.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for an award the student must:

• meet one of the United States citizenship requirements;

• be a legal resident of New York State;

• be matriculated in an undergraduate or graduate degree, diploma or certificate program in a New York State institution or registered in an approved vocational training program of at least 320 clock hours;

• register as a full-time student (12 credits per semester) for a full-time award, or as a part-time student (three to 11 credits per semester) for a part-time award;

• be in good academic standing; have at least a cumulative "C" average after receipt of two annual payments;

• not be in default on any guaranteed student loan HESC administers;

• have served in the United States Armed Forces in Indochina between December 22, 1961, and May 7, 1975, if awarded as a Vietnam Veteran;

• have served in the Persian Gulf hostilities between August 2, 1990, and the cessation of hostilities if awarded as a Persian Gulf veteran;
  have been discharged from the Armed Forces under other than dishonorable conditions;

• apply for a federally sponsored Pell Grant (if an undergraduate); and

• apply for a TAP award (if a full-time student).

• First-time recipients of an award as of the 1996-97 academic year must have graduated from high school, have a GED or other equivalent of a high school certificate, or received a passing score on an approved ability-to-benefit test.

Duration

Students can receive a total of four academic years of payment for full-time study or up to eight years of payment for part-time study. Payment for a fifth year of full-time undergraduate study is possible if the student is currently enrolled in an approved five-year baccalaureate program or an approved educational opportunity program. Payment is available for up to 10 years for part-time study. Students enrolled in vocational training programs can receive a maximum of four semesters of payment for full-time study or eight semesters of part-time study.

Award Calculation

Awards for full-time study are $1,000 per semester or the actual tuition, whichever is less. If a TAP award is also received, the combination of the two awards cannot exceed the tuition charge. The TAP award would be reduced accordingly.

Awards for part-time study are $500 per semester or the actual tuition, whichever is less.

No recipient may receive total assistance in excess of $10,000 through this program.

Application Procedure

The student must first establish eligibility for this award by submitting a Vietnam/Persian Gulf Veterans Tuition Award Supplement (available from HESC by request) and appropriate documentation proving eligible veteran status (Form DD214). The deadline for establishing eligibility is September 1.

If the student plans to study on a part-time basis, the Supplement can also serve as the application for payment. To obtain payment on this basis, the supplement must be submitted by May 1 of each academic year for which an award is sought.

Full-time students must submit an application for a TAP award by May 1 of the academic year for which assistance is being sought.

For additional information and applications, you may contact HESC’s Grants and Scholarships Unit at the address and telephone number listed below.

New York State Higher Education Services Corporation
99 Washington Avenue · Albany, New York 12255 · (888) NYS-HESC
www.hesc.com