New York State offers scholarships to volunteer fire and volunteer ambulance companies to use as a recruitment and retention incentive for new members.

Who is Eligible?

Volunteer firefighters and ambulance personnel who:
    • Have been New York State residents for at least one year
    • Are enrolled in an approved undergraduate degree program in New York State.
    • Have a course load of at least six credits per term
    • If 23 years of age or older, have less than six months of volunteer service at time of initial award
    • If under 23 years of age, no minimum or maximum time of volunteer service is required at time of initial award
    • Are not in possession of a baccalaureate degree or higher
    • Are attending a college/institution within 50 miles of the volunteer organization, or if no college is available within the 50-mile limit, the nearest college/institution. Program of study is not a determining factor. Recent legislation allows for an exception to the fifty mile radius requirement if you enter into a joint service agreement with your company and a "Host" company whose service area contains the school where you are enrolled.
    • Have a high school diploma or equivalent
    • Have applied for state and federal financial aid

How to Apply

Due to the new application deadline date of May 1, 2008, applications for the 2008-09 academic year will be available in January 2008.

Students should request the application supplement from their volunteer company official.

Volunteer company officials may obtain application supplements by contacting the HESC Scholarship Unit at 1-888-697-4372.

Application supplements became available in March.
    • 2008 Series Volunteer Recruitment Service Scholarship application supplements will be mailed to volunteer organizations in January 2008.
    • A volunteer organization selects one eligible candidate per year. An additional candidate may be selected in each future year.
    • A volunteer organization must develop a policy to be used to select a candidate. If the policy is not already on file, that written policy must be forwarded to HESC with the application supplement in an envelope postmarked by May 1, 2008.
    • A volunteer organization submits completed application supplements to HESC at the address below in an envelope postmarked by May 1, 2008.
    • A volunteer organization means an ambulance company, as defined in section three of the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law, or a fire company, as defined in section three of the volunteer firefighters' benefit law.

Recipient Selection

If the number of applicants exceeds funding for the program, HESC shall randomly select recipients from the applicant pool. Receipt of the scholarship in future years is based on funding, but preference will be given to renewal scholarships.

Recipient Requirements

Recipients must meet the following requirements:
    • Maintain good academic standing.
    • Maintain a "C" average.
    • Maintain status as an active volunteer with the volunteer organization for duration of scholarship.
    • Maintain continuous enrollment in college/institution for duration of scholarship.
    • File for state and federal financial aid.

Award Payment

Payment will be made to college/institution on behalf of students upon certification of eligibility.

Awards will equal the amount of tuition, reduced by any tuition-based grant, but can not exceed the amount of tuition charged by the State University of New York.

Recipients will continue to receive benefits as long as they are continuously enrolled, meet the eligibility requirements and funding is available.