This sure is nice for those of us who live in the Tri-State area.  I hope other states follow suit.

Yorktown Heights, NY - State Assemblyman Greg Ball (R - Carmel) held a
press Saturday to announce that his landmark program to create a tuition
remission program for veterans had been included in the 2008-09 State
Budget.

The budget was passed by both houses earlier this week. Effective July
1st, the measure allows combat veterans to attend SUNY graduate and
undergraduate institutions at no cost.

"This program is very good news for our veterans, especially the young
men and women who are, right now, returning from overseas. It is
important that we remember that there is a war going on in which these
brave soldiers are defending our freedoms - when they get home, we
should thank and honor them for protecting our quality of life and do
everything we can to ensure they have the best possible future. Passage
of this important program is a great step in the right direction of
honoring the present and future of our troops," stated Ball, a former
Air Force Captain.

Ball serves as Ranking Republican Member of the Assembly Veterans
Affairs Committee. His legislation was originally introduced in May of
2007, and in reintroduced in January of 2008, after former Governor
Eliot Spitzer announced his support of the measure in his State of the
State Address. A group of officials from the New York Veterans of
Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, and NYS Council of Veterans
Organizations testified before the Assembly in Albany to support the
measure, and it was included in Spitzer's proposed executive budget in
March.

Following the Governor's resignation, the fate of program was in doubt,
but Governor David Paterson decided to keep the measure, and provided $2
million in funding for the program, which became Part N of Article VII
of the State Budget. New York State veterans who served in the
hostilities of Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf will be
eligible for tuition assistance benefits equal to the cost of SUNY
tuition, or the equivalent at any other New York State higher education
institution. Previously, the State's Higher Education Service
Corporation (HESC) offered tuition awards of $1,000 per year.

Ball, whose district encompasses the northern Westchester towns of North
Salem, Somers, and Yorktown, has also authored and passed bills which
have expanded eligibility for disabled veterans to receive tax exemption
benefits on real property; provided tax incentives for business owners
who are veterans; and created programs to help improve health services
for veterans.

Joining Assemblyman Ball at the press conferences were Yorktown
Supervisor Don Peters, and members of the VFW, American Legion and
Ladies Auxiliary of Brewster, Mahopac, Patterson, Pawling, and Yorktown.

im very glad to hear that....i have 2 step sisters in the army and are deployed at the moment....and i

have a brother who is in the marines who has done 2 tours overseas..and might go back for a 3rd tour...

 .....so thank you for posting this.......