All of New York's veterans deserve a tuition break

In working with veterans across New York State, I’ve heard repeated stories about the moment when a person’s service is about to end and the same question hits hard: What’s next?

The transition to civilian life can be a struggle. In our state, we say we value the sacrifices veterans made and pledge that we’ll help them in their moments of need. Yet when veterans seek help to access higher education — a key pathway to long-term stability for themselves and their families — New York has established a shameful system of choosing who deserves assistance.

The state’s Veterans Tuition Awards program helps veterans afford tuition for a college degree or vocational education by covering costs that may not be met in full or at all by other forms of federal and state aid. But the program is open only to combat veterans, ignoring those who honorably served in noncombat roles who are no less dedicated to our nation and who sacrificed years of their lives defending our nation.

Legislation passed in Albany in June would right this wrong, opening the VTA program up to veterans regardless of where or how they served. Gov. Kathy Hochul should sign the bill.

Nationwide, only 30% of veterans have had combat experience, according to Pew Research. Yet numerous programs and organizations at the national, state and local levels assist all veterans with health care, homelessness prevention, food support, and other forms of assistance. Limiting a program critical to economic mobility to only one subset is counterintuitive.

Long Island's cost of living remains sky high, with the realistic poverty line for a family of four roughly $25,000 higher than the national poverty line. Veterans, too, struggle with affording housing, food, transportation, and other costs that pinch Long Islanders; the median income for veterans statewide is nearly $5,600 lower than that of the general population, Housing Assistance Council statistics show.

Postsecondary education is a critical step on the ladder to economic opportunity and financial certainty. Bachelor’s degree holders, for example, report financial well-being at far higher rates than those with other levels of education — their earnings are 86% higher than those with a high school diploma and they make $1.2 million in additional earnings over their lifetimes, according to a compilation of economic studies by the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities.

Training for the career you want also is critical for fulfillment and overcoming feelings of being "underemployed." In one 2021 poll, veterans were five times more likely than nonveterans to say they get no satisfaction from their jobs.

It's not just the right thing to do to help veterans obtain a degree; we also should encourage veterans to do that right here in New York through the VTA program, which covers in-state tuition. We know the vast majority of graduates who study at a SUNY school continue working in New York after graduation. By remaining in the state, they have a hand in growing New York businesses and our tax base. And our veterans are people dedicated to service who remain in our communities as leaders. 

The service mindset, however, is double-edged. Many veterans believe others are more deserving of benefits we owe to all of them. Many are reluctant to proactively seek out assistance they need and deserve.

Maintaining a higher education assistance program that splits veterans into different classes sends the wrong message about what our state believes in. It's time that changed.

This guest essay reflects the views of Assemb. Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Wheatley Heights), chair of the Assembly Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Jean-Pierre is not seeking reelection.