New York’s state student financial aid agency launched a video campaign on July 1 timed to America’s 250th anniversary to remind students, veterans, and first responders across the state that it distributes more than $900 million in grants, scholarships, and loan forgiveness each year to nearly 300,000 people, according to a press release from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation.
The campaign was built in collaboration with the State University of New York and the City University of New York. It features institutional leaders from both systems and is posted on HESC’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages. The press release does not give a schedule for when individual videos will go live.
“For 250 years, the promise of America has been rooted in opportunity, and that promise begins with education,” Doris B. González, HESC’s acting president, said in the release. “Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s leadership, New York continues to make higher education more accessible and affordable, opening doors for students regardless of their background.”
HESC administers 28 financial aid programs and services. The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provides grants to eligible New York State residents attending approved colleges and universities on a full-time or part-time basis. HESC also supports military members, veterans, first responders, and their families through a set of financial aid programs that includes the Veterans Tuition Award (VTA). The full list of programs is on HESC’s aid finder page.
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said in the release that the university system has “helped make the American Dream possible by expanding access to higher education for millions of New Yorkers” across generations. SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. called access to higher education and a functioning democracy “intrinsically linked.”
HESC did not provide a breakdown of how many of its 300,000 annual student beneficiaries live in New York City or in North Brooklyn specifically.
