Give Veterans College Credit

Section 2 defines the term "veteran" to mean a person, male or female, who has served in the active military or naval service of the United States during a war in which the United States engaged and who has been released from such service otherwise than by dishonorable discharge, or who has been furloughed to the reserve. Section 2 further requires the SUNY Board of Trustees to develop a policy requiring each state univer- sity of New York and city university of New York including colleges and community colleges, to award academic credit to a student, who is also a veteran, enrolled in the university, for courses that were part of the student's military training or service and that meet the standards of the American Council on Education or equivalent standards for awarding the academic credit.

Section 3 establishes the effective date.

Justification

According September 2012 statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, just under one million veterans reside in New York State. Across the nation, over two million U.S. troops have deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. It is the duty of the nation and the state to understand and address our responsibilities to our returning service members.

Data derived from a 2011 report to the New York State Health Foundation by the RAND Corporation reported that 36 percent of sampled veterans (n.913) in New York State were enrolled in higher education, and 77 percent of veterans expressed that additional training or college would help to advance their career. Accordingly, colleges and universities have formed veterans affairs-specifics offices, often hiring veterans as staff, to accommodate the rising number of veteran students.

Veteran students have different backgrounds, experiences, and skills than traditional students, and as such have different needs. Often times veterans, while attending school, have other obligations including work and supporting a family. For many, the goal is to complete their degree as quickly as possible in order to expedite the transition from soldier to civilian.

This bill seeks to ensure that veterans receive higher education credits for relevant military coursework and training. The American Council on Education, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, evaluates military transcripts from each branch of service and makes recommenda- tions for appropriate academic credit. Veterans, throughout their mili- tary careers, have received valuable and translatable education that should be acknowledged at institutions of higher learning. By giving credit where credit is due, New York State and its public university system can accelerate veterans' transition into, and increase marketa- bility in, a competitive labor force. In addition, the state will continue its longstanding tradition of honoring our veterans and promot- ing the State of New York as a welcoming place to live, work and learn.

War, for the purposes of this legislation, includes but is not limited to, the Persian Gulf conflicts that took place on or after August 2, 1990 until 2011, and the war in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 to present and any future wars in which the United States engages in.

Legislative history

01/08/14 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS 2015-16: S.752 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS 2017-18: S.1837 REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.