Children Of Murdered NYC Cop Will Receive A Free College Education

A program set up by former Yankee owner George Steinbrenner pays for children of police officers killed in the line of duty to attend college. Update — Dec. 22, 2:25 p.m: Bowdoin College will waive the tuition fee for Ramos' son, who is a sophomore at the school.

On Saturday, two police officers were shot while sitting in their squad car in Brooklyn. One of them was Rafael Ramos, 40, who is survived by his wife and two children.

Ramos has one 13-year-old son and another son, Justin, who is a sophomore at Bowdoin College, and both of his children will now receive a free college eduction.

The New York Yankees will cover the cost of sending his youngest kid to college.

Decades ago, former Yankee owner George Steinbrenner created the Yankee Silver Shield Foundation, which covers the cost of education for the children of police officers, firemen, and Port Authority employees who die in the line of duty, The Daily News reported.

The other officer killed, Wenjian Liu, was recently married and did not have any children.

Steinbrenner died in 2010, and his foundation is now run by his friend, former Olympian Jim Fuchs' daughter. It has paid for thousands of children to receive college educations in the tri-state area, and 700 students who lost a parent who in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

In addition, Bowdoin College will waive the tuition fee for Ramos' son Justin, who is a sophomore at the liberal arts college in Maine, the college announced in a statement on Monday.

Bowdoin, which costs about $60,000 a year, said that it will provide "full financial aid to enable him [Ramos] to complete his Bowdoin education." The school added:

"This is in keeping with Bowdoin's practice of meeting the full financial need of each of our students for all four years. We are grateful for the Yankee Silver Shield Foundation's offer to assist, but Bowdoin has it covered."

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