Requires SUNY and CUNY to inform eligible high school seniors at NY public high schools of their college options and inform them of their acceptance to community college; and to invite them to apply to a state college and provide financial aid information.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7980
IN SENATE
January 4, 2024
___________
Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring SUNY and
CUNY to inform eligible high school seniors of their college options
and inform them of their acceptance to community college
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 355-f
2 to read as follows:
3 § 355-f. State university of New York personalized direct admission
4 letters. The state university shall send a letter by October first of
5 each calendar year to every high school senior who is on track to gradu-
6 ate from a public high school in New York state indicating that they
7 have been accepted to their local state university of New York community
8 college, as defined in section three hundred fifty of this article. The
9 letter shall be addressed to the student by name and invite them to
10 apply to all of the state university of New York's state-operated insti-
11 tutions, as defined in section three hundred fifty of this article,
12 which they are eligible to apply to as high school seniors. The letter
13 shall provide financial aid options and opportunities for financial aid
14 assistance, scholarship opportunities, information on the enrollment
15 process, and information to help connect students to individuals at the
16 state university who can assist with the enrollment and application
17 process. The letter shall include information on how to access the net
18 price calculator on the state university's website. For the purposes of
19 this section, the "net price calculator" shall mean a tool to calculate
20 net price at a college. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the
21 state university of New York from requiring information from high school
22 seniors to finalize their community college acceptance or from requiring
23 student information in the enrollment process.
24 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6206-a to
25 read as follows:
26 § 6206-a. City university of New York personalized direct admission
27 letters. The city university of New York shall send a letter by October
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13777-02-3
S. 7980 2
1 first of each calendar year to every high school senior who is on track
2 to graduate from a public high school in the city of New York indicating
3 that they have been accepted to all city university of New York communi-
4 ty colleges, as defined in section sixty-two hundred two of this arti-
5 cle. The letter shall be addressed to the student by name and invite
6 them to apply to the city university of New York's senior colleges, as
7 defined in section sixty-two hundred two of this article. The letter
8 shall provide financial aid options and opportunities for financial aid
9 assistance, scholarship opportunities, enrollment assistance, informa-
10 tion on the enrollment process, and information to help connect students
11 to individuals at the city university who can assist with the enrollment
12 and application process. The letter shall include information on how to
13 access the net price calculator on the city university of New York's
14 website. For the purposes of this section, the "net price calculator"
15 shall mean a tool to calculate net price at a college. Nothing in this
16 section shall prohibit the city university of New York from requiring
17 information from high school seniors to finalize their community college
18 acceptance or from requiring student information in the enrollment proc-
19 ess.
20 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to the
21 academic year next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a
22 law.