(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, Assembly Budget Chairman Vincent Prieto and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano to provide veterans with better access to educational information has been signed into law.
“After completing their military service, many veterans want to further their education by attending college,” said Greenwald (D-Camden). “But to ensure veterans are aware of the educational options and benefits offered to them, it’s imperative that information is easily accessible through a link on every public institution of higher education’s Web site.”
The law (A-1677 from the 2011-12 legislative session) requires a public institution of higher education to include on its website a link to information on federal and state educational benefits available to veterans. The link must be placed in a prominent location on the website, and its content must be in accordance with the guidelines of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education.
It requires the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to link its website to the directory of public and private colleges and universities, located on the website of the state Commission on Higher Education. The link must be placed on the page in the department’s website that lists the education benefits available to veterans.
“Military life is not easy. Veterans have endured their share of challenges; finding the proper reDests to help them further their education should not be one of them,” said Quijano (D-Union). “This ensures the brave men and women who serve our country are provided educational information in the most convenient manner to assist them in pursing an education.”
“Finding the college or university that best meets your academic needs and budget can take quite a bit of research, and sometimes feel overwhelming,” said Prieto (D-Bergen/Hudson). “We owe it to our veterans to make the process as simple as possible so they can take advantage of the educational reDests available to them, as they embark on this new chapter in their lives.”
