Memorial Scholarship Aids Flight 3407 Victims' Families

ALBANY, NY (02/17/2010)(readMedia)-- As New Yorkers remember the victims of the Continental Airlines Flight 3407 disaster, the State is reminding their families that scholarships are available to help them pay for college.

"This scholarship allows us to provide some level of help to those who lost loved ones on February 12, 2009," said Elsa Magee, Acting President of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), the agency that administers the scholarship. "To date, six scholarships have been awarded to students to ensure that they can begin and complete their college education."

The memorial scholarship covers up to four years of full-time undergraduate study at a public or private college in New York State, or five years in an approved five-year bachelor's degree program.

The award pays up to 98 percent of the actual cost of attendance at the State University of New York or City University of New York. Cost of attendance includes tuition and fees, actual room and board charged to students living on campus, or an allowance for room and board for commuter students, plus allowances for books, supplies and transportation.

Scholarship details can be found at HESC.org.

About HESC: The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation is the State's student financial aid agency, providing more grant and scholarship awards to students than any other state in the nation. In 2008-09, HESC helped nearly 600,000 students achieve their dream of attending college by providing $4.6 billion in grants, scholarships and loan guarantees, including $813 million awarded through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to more than 375,000 students. HESC also assists schools and students with advanced default prevention, financial literacy and counseling programs, and provides training and technical services to college financial aid administrators and high school counselors.

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