New York veterans and lawmakers want Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill to allow any person who served in the military to apply for the state's scholarship for veterans as the governor's office questions the fiscal impact of the expansion.

New York offers awards to combat veterans who served in conflicts like Vietnam, the Persian Gulf or Afghanistan to assist with their undergraduate or graduate degree or other vocational training program.

Of the state's 800,000 veterans, those who did not experience active combat cannot apply for the state's veteran tuition scholarship, which intends to help servicemembers and their families be more economically stable.

"How insulting — because every single role is critical," said Michael Bower, a combat veteran who served as a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps in the Gulf War. "Because every single role is critical. Everyone depends on everything. It's not teamwork that way."

The annual award is $7,070 — SUNY's average tuition — or the program's actual cost, whichever is less. It does not have restrictions based on a person's annual income.

Bower, president and owner of Eagle Metalcraft Inc. in East Syracuse, recalled how he and his young family were near the poverty line when he left the service in his early 20s, and he couldn't take advantage of tuition assistance. 

His family often changed the family grocery budget to afford his education.

"It shouldn't have to be that hard, especially for people that served at any level. It shouldn't be," he said Monday. "When I got out, I was four years behind my peers that didn't serve...Getting home and realizing I was four years behind was a literal shock."

Bower is one of many veterans calling on Hochul to sign a bill to expand the scholarship to all servicemembers. It passed with overwhelming bipartisan support at the end of session.

The Business Council of New York State sent a letter to Hochul earlier this month urging her to sign the bill into law.

Sponsor Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said the state's veteran tuition award program must include all vets — and people who avoided combat often don't identify their service.

"We want them to come out and be proud of their service," she said Monday. "You're no less patriotic because perhaps you didn't serve in war." 

Hochul's staff is in talks with the senator's team about how much the expansion would cost. The governor's office requested more information about the legislation within the last month.

Scarcella-Spanton, who chairs the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, said the extra cost is difficult to estimate, especially because most veterans do not know about the award.

"I imagine it will be a really small percentage, but it would be really impactful for that small percentage," the senator said. "So I don't see any reason why they would come out against it."

About 0.6% of combat veterans in the state currently apply for the benefit, Scarcella-Spanton added.

"We've been talkig with the governor's team, [and] I know they want to do the right thing on behalf of veterans and military families," she said.

Scarcella-Spanton said the Legislature will prioritize legislation next session to require the state Labor Department to maintain a registry of available careers or job openings for veterans statewide. Often, companies or businesses have specific incentives for the military and their families after they leave the service, but many remain unaware of those opportunities.