SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program could make college free for many active-duty service members
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., shown in 2023, made the tuition announcement on Tuesday, Veterans Day. Credit: Jeff Bachner
State University of New York campuses on Long Island and throughout the state will reduce the tuition rate for military service members to a level that should allow many troops to receive a free education, with schools kicking off the new benefit in the spring 2026 semester.
Those serving in the active-duty military, National Guard and reserves can take part in the SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced Tuesday, Veterans Day. In a statement, King said SUNY “is removing barriers and making sure cost is never what stands between service members and their education.”
Military service members will pay $250 per credit hour for each online or in-person course they take in undergraduate degree programs and micro-credential programs, regardless of whether they are New York residents, SUNY officials said. The Department of Defense’s Military Tuition Assistance program pays $250 per credit hour for eligible service members, up to $4,500 per year. Undergraduate classes generally count as three credit hours.
SUNY’s part-time tuition rates for non-military, in-state students are generally $295 per credit hour at many four-year colleges and about $250 per credit hour at many community colleges. Out-of-state students pay higher rates.
The campuses that will start offering the lower rate in the spring 2026 semester include five Long Island campuses: Stony Brook University, SUNY Old Westbury, Farmingdale State College, Nassau Community College and Suffolk County Community College.
Service members “are going to find a home here,” said Bryan Terry, vice president for enrollment management and marketing at SUNY Old Westbury. “They’re going to say, ‘Look, this isn’t going to cost me anything, and I’m going to be able to get a higher education.’ ”
SUNY Old Westbury’s student population includes many veterans pursuing degrees in education, business, psychology and other programs, and it recently dedicated a new lounge at its Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, Terry said.
Earlier this year, Gov. Kathy Hochul expanded full-tuition scholarships to all veterans who completed at least four years of active-duty service. Previously, the grants were mainly for combat veterans.
Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith said in a statement she is "inspired by the veterans and service members who are among our Stony Brook students.” The program, she said, will “help ensure access to a world-class education at an affordable price.”
The other SUNY schools launching the lower tuition rates in the spring are Empire State University in Saratoga Springs, University at Albany, University at Buffalo, Alfred State College, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Canton, Clinton Community College, Columbia-Greene Community College, Dutchess Community College, SUNY Erie, SUNY Geneseo, Monroe Community College, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Orange, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Plattsburgh, Tompkins Cortland Community College and SUNY Ulster, the system said.
The remaining SUNY campuses will start the program in fall 2026.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) said in a statement the program “will help make life more affordable for Long Islanders serving in our military.”
Maura McDermott covers education. Since joining Newsday in 2012, she also has worked on the investigations team and covered real estate and the business of health care.
