Relates to establishing the COVID-19 children scholarship; provides that children whose parent, primary caretaker or sibling died or was disabled as a result of contracting COVID-19 shall be eligible for such scholarship.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6061
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 5, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, FERNANDEZ, RHOADS -- 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 establishing the
COVID-19 children scholarship
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 608-b
2 to read as follows:
3 § 608-b. COVID-19 children scholarships. 1. Notwithstanding subdivi-
4 sion five of section six hundred sixty-one of this title, children whose
5 parent, primary caretaker or sibling died or was disabled as a result of
6 contracting COVID-19, shall be eligible to receive a scholarship in an
7 annual amount determined pursuant to subdivision two of section six
8 hundred sixty-eight-h of this title.
9 2. Awards under this section shall be payable for each of not more
10 than four academic years of undergraduate study or five academic years
11 if a program normally requires five years, as defined by the commission-
12 er pursuant to this article.
13 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 668-h to
14 read as follows:
15 § 668-h. COVID-19 children scholarships. 1. Eligible groups. Notwith-
16 standing subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-one of this part,
17 children whose parent, primary caretaker or sibling died or was disabled
18 as a result of contracting COVID-19, shall be eligible to receive a
19 scholarship.
20 2. Amount. (a) The president shall grant annual scholarships in the
21 following amounts:
22 (1) If the recipient attends an institution of the city university of
23 New York or an institution of the state university of New York other
24 than the statutory colleges at Cornell, the college of environmental
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06656-01-5
S. 6061 2
1 science and forestry at Syracuse and the college of ceramics at Alfred,
2 the annual award shall be an amount equal to: the tuition charged at
3 such institution provided that, notwithstanding any provision of law to
4 the contrary, the tuition charged to award recipients shall not exceed
5 that charged to state resident students attending such institution; the
6 mandatory fees charged at such institution; and the non-tuition cost of
7 attendance at such institution or college, provided that the scholarship
8 shall not exceed an amount that is equal to the total cost of attendance
9 determined for federal Title IV student financial aid purposes, less all
10 other scholarships and grants provided by New York state, other states,
11 the federal government, or other governments, and the amount of educa-
12 tional benefits paid under any program that would duplicate the purposes
13 of this program, provided that any scholarships or grants provided to a
14 recipient by the institution which are intended to fund any portion of
15 the difference between the annual state award and the actual costs of
16 attendance at any such institution shall not be considered to duplicate
17 the purposes of this program; or
18 (2) If the recipient attends any other two- or four-year institution
19 within New York state, the annual award shall be based upon an amount
20 equal to: the tuition charged to state resident students attending a
21 four-year college of the state university of New York; the average
22 mandatory fees charged at four-year colleges of the state university of
23 New York, or the actual tuition and fees charged to the recipient,
24 whichever is less; and the average non-tuition cost of attendance, as
25 determined by the president and as approved by the director of the budg-
26 et, for a student at the state university of New York or actual non-tui-
27 tion cost of attendance at such institution, whichever is less, provided
28 that the scholarship shall be at least two thousand five hundred dollars
29 per year, and provided that the scholarship shall not exceed an amount
30 that is equal to the total cost of attendance determined for federal
31 Title IV student financial aid purposes, less all other scholarships and
32 grants provided by New York state, other states, the federal government,
33 or other governments, and the amount of educational benefits paid under
34 any program that would duplicate the purposes of this program, provided
35 that any scholarships or grants provided to a recipient by the institu-
36 tion which are intended to fund any portion of the difference between
37 the annual state award and the actual costs of attendance at any such
38 institution shall not be considered to duplicate the purposes of this
39 program.
40 (3) "Non-tuition cost of attendance", as used in this subdivision,
41 shall mean: (i) the actual amount charged by the institution for room
42 and board, and (ii) an allowance for transportation, books and supplies
43 as determined by the president and as approved by the director of the
44 budget, provided that such determination shall be made no later than
45 December first of each year for use in the succeeding academic year. In
46 the event a student does not incur room or board charges at the institu-
47 tion, "non-tuition cost of attendance" shall mean an allowance for room
48 and board as determined by the president and approved by the director of
49 the budget. In determining allowances pursuant to this subparagraph, the
50 president may take into consideration the allowances provided for in the
51 Pell grant program.
52 (b) In no event shall the combination of all student financial aid
53 received by a student exceed a recipient's total cost of attendance at
54 the institution being attended.
55 3. Duration. Awards under this section shall be payable for each of
56 not more than four academic years of undergraduate study or five academ-
S. 6061 3
1 ic years if a program normally requires five years, as defined by the
2 commissioner pursuant to article thirteen of this title.
3 § 3. Section 604 of the education law is amended by adding a new
4 subdivision 13 to read as follows:
5 13. COVID-19 children scholarships.
6 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
