S 1250: Enacts the "military experience recognized for institutional transfer (MERIT) act"; grants academic credit for veterans with regard to SUNY and CUNY college credits for military learning, training, coursework and occupational experience.
This act recognizes military experience for institutional transfer and academic credit. Veterans who are enrolled full-time at a university in the city or state university system can apply for academic credit for military learning, training, and coursework. The universities will develop and maintain a standardized framework to evaluate and apply military learning towards degree requirements. The framework must be transparent, publicly posted, and utilize nationally recognized evaluation standards. Veterans can submit joint services transcripts, training records, and service documentation, and faculty will review and assess the alignment of military learning with existing course outcomes. No fee or charge will be assessed against veterans who qualify for academic credit. The universities will adopt procedures to fully implement the provisions of this act. This act will take effect on the…
| May. 18, 2026 | REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO HIGHER EDUCATION |
| Feb. 02, 2026 | PRINT NUMBER 1250B |
| Feb. 02, 2026 | AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS |
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS |
| Mar. 05, 2025 | AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1250 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi- ty and Military Affairs AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to academic credit for veterans The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "veterans' 2 education through SUNY credits act". 3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6355 to read 4 as follows: 5 § 6355. Expanding veterans' educational opportunities act. 1. For the 6 purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean a person, of any gender, 7 who has served in the active military or naval service of the United 8 States during a war in which the United States engaged, and who has been 9 released from such service otherwise than by dishonorable discharge, or 10 who has been furloughed to the reserve. 11 2. The state university of New York's board of trustees shall adopt a 12 policy requiring each state university of New York and city university 13 of New York, including colleges and community colleges, to award academ- 14 ic credit to a student, who is also a veteran, enrolled in the universi- 15 ty, for courses that were part of the student's military training or 16 service and that meet the standards of the American Council on Education 17 or equivalent standards for awarding the academic credit, if the award 18 of academic credit is based upon the university's admission standards. 19 Each university shall adopt the necessary rules, regulations, and proce- 20 dures to implement the provisions of this section. 21 3. No fee, tuition or other charge shall be assessed against a veteran 22 who qualifies for such credit pursuant to this section. 23 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD03096-01-5