Veterans Tuition Award (VTA)
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
Apply any timeRenews each year
Covers tuition up to SUNY rates for eligible NY veterans, full- or part-time, including vocational programs
- How much
- Covers tuition up to the average SUNY state-operated resident undergraduate tuition, or actual tuition if less
- Who qualifies
- Veteran: 4+ years active duty, or combat/combat-theater service (Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan); National Guard with 4+ years active-duty deployment or combat service; not dishonorably discharged
- Legal NYS resident 12 continuous months. Full-time (12+ credits or 24+ hrs/week vocational) or part-time (3-11 credits or 6-23 hrs/week vocational).
- For students starting college, undergrads, grad students, trade school students, adults going back to school
- U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- When to apply
- Apply any time Open year-round
- How to apply
- Degree students: file the FAFSA and TAP application, then the Veterans Tuition Award application on HESC
- Vocational students: complete the VTA application to establish eligibility
- HESC then sends a payment application
- What you'll need
- FAFSA + state application
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (hesc.ny.gov)
The details
Covers tuition up to the average SUNY state-operated resident undergraduate tuition (or actual tuition if less); prorated by credit hour for part-time study. Usable for undergraduate, graduate and approved vocational training. Maximum 4 years (8 full-time semesters) in total across undergraduate and graduate study; graduate up to 6 semesters, vocational up to 4 semesters.
More money from New York
- Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA)Up to $6,000 for tuition expenses
- Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)$1,000 to $5,665
- NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence$500 or $1,500 per year
- Excelsior ScholarshipCovers tuition at SUNY/CUNY (last-dollar, after other aid)
- Non-degree Part-Time Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)Prorated TAP award based on credits and actual tuition
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.