STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6948
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. LANZA -- 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 John
J. Marchi government studies scholarship program
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 679-k
2 to read as follows:
3 § 679-k. Senator John J. Marchi government studies scholarship
4 program. 1. Purpose. a. The president shall grant scholarship awards to
5 students of the city university of New York who are enrolled in govern-
6 ment or government related studies. Such awards shall be made on a
7 competitive basis, as promulgated by the corporation through rules and
8 regulations to applicants who are enrolling in an approved program to
9 obtain a degree in government or government related studies from the
10 city university of New York.
11 b. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this subdivision, appli-
12 cants shall (1) be a resident of the state; (2) enroll in a degree
13 program in government or government related studies; (3) attend a city
14 university of New York school; and (4) comply with subdivision five of
15 section six hundred sixty-one of this part.
16 2. Award conditions and requirements. Scholarships shall be awarded on
17 a competitive basis as promulgated by the corporation through rules and
18 regulations to applicants whom the corporation has certified are eligi-
19 ble to receive such awards; and who agree to provide not less than
20 twelve academic credit hours or its equivalent for the duration of at
21 least four years upon completion of the degree program.
22 3. Amount. The corporation shall grant such awards within the amounts
23 appropriated for such purpose and based on availability of funds accord-
24 ing to a schedule to be determined by the corporation in an amount:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11083-01-5
S. 6948 2
1 a. Equal to the tuition charged to state resident students enrolled in
2 a degree program with a major in government or government related
3 studies; the average mandatory fees charged at the city university of
4 New York, or the actual tuition and fees charged to the recipient,
5 whichever is less; and the average non-tuition cost of attendance, as
6 determined by the corporation and as approved by the director of the
7 budget, for a student at the city university of New York or actual non-
8 tuition cost of attendance at such institution, whichever is less,
9 provided that the scholarship shall not exceed an amount that is equal
10 to the total cost of attendance determined for federal Title IV student
11 financial aid purposes, less all other scholarships and grants provided
12 by the state, other states, the federal government or other governments,
13 and the amount of educational benefits paid under any program that would
14 duplicate the purposes of this program, provided that any scholarships
15 or grants provided to a recipient by the institution which are intended
16 to fund any portion of the difference between the annual state award and
17 the actual costs of attendance at any such institution shall not be
18 considered to duplicate the purposes of this program.
19 b. The total cost of the Senator John J. Marchi government studies
20 scholarship program shall not exceed an annual cost of two million
21 dollars, and no annual award shall exceed twenty thousand dollars.
22 4. Other awards. Award recipients shall be eligible to apply for other
23 awards.
24 5. Penalties for noncompliance. a. The corporation shall convert to a
25 student loan the full amount of the award given pursuant to this
26 section, plus interest, according to a schedule to be determined by the
27 corporation if the student fails to receive a degree in government or
28 government related studies.
29 b. The rate of interest charged for repayment of the student loan
30 shall be determined pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the
31 corporation.
32 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
