Levy Announces College Tuition Assistance

Holbrook, NY – Suffolk Executive Steve Levy will be joined by Holbrook Fire Department officials,  volunteers and college students to announce the county is now accepting tuition assistance applications for volunteer firefighters and emergency service personnel under the innovative Suffolk Educational program for Retention in the Voluntary Emergency Services (SERVES).

Under the SERVES program, members of a volunteer fire department or emergency medical services agency are eligible for a $500 tuition assistance grant at Suffolk County Community College. Volunteers must be members in good standing in their departments, and have not attained an Associates Degree or equivalent earned credits.

"Our volunteers are the backbone of the community, sacrificing time and risking their own personal safety for the good of others," said Levy. "Suffolk is proud to support our volunteers with these tuition assistance grants."

Levy has allocated $72,000 for SERVES grants in 2010.  In 2009, the program served 79 students in the Spring semester and accepted 72 additional students in the fall 2009 semester. Applications are due to the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services by May 1.

"On behalf of my volunteer fire fighters and emergency services personnel, it is my pleasure to thank Suffolk Executive Levy for his unyielding commitment to the volunteer services," said Vincent Coletta, 1st Asst. Chief of the Holbrook Fire Department.

"Suffolk Executive Steve Levy understands the needs of the volunteer emergency services community, and the Suffolk SERVES program has been a valuable recruiting tool to our departments and a means of education for many of our members," said Holbrook Fire Commissioner Michael Timo.

The program was first initiated in 2003 with $20,000 and has grown substantially.  The number of funded participants was 79 students (63 FD and 16 EMS) enrolled at SCCC during the Spring 2009 semester, and 72 applicants (54 FD and 18 EMS) approved for the Fall 2009 semester.  Overall, the estimated SERVES enrollment and participation will exceed 200 student-volunteers.  To date there have been 57 student-volunteer graduates from the SERVES program.

The program is administered as follows:

• SERVES Student/Volunteers require a minimum GPA of 2.0 while attending SCCC and a commitment ranging with their volunteer agency ranging from 1 to 5 years of service based on a sliding scale of credits earned.

• The SERVES Administrative Guide (containing all policies and necessary forms) is available on the county web site.

• SERVES will pay up a $500 tuition assistance stipend per semester in excess of any other grant or scholarship funding.

• To be eligible for this program all student/volunteers must submit a SERVES application to FRES no later than May 1 each year and complete a standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA;www.fafsa.ed.gov.) to document gross tuition expense less any federal or state grant awards.

• SERVES will award funds for full or part time student/volunteers for Spring and Fall semesters only and is available for any major offered at SCCC.

"I am grateful for the SERVES program, which allow me to continue to serve my community as an EMT and pursue advanced education simultaneously," said Troy Brown EMT, Holbrook Fire Department volunteer and Suffolk County Community College student.

"Without the SERVES program I would probably not be back in school pursuing a college degree.  It is a great recruitment and retention tool for the volunteer fire departments, and I am happy to be a participant," said Jason Stahl, Holbrook volunteer firefighter and student at Suffolk County Community College.