Provides that students who receive a high school diploma from an online high school program located within the United States that is accredited in accordance with the Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook shall be eligible for admission to colleges and financial aid.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6705
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 20, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. STAVISKY -- 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 college admission and
financial aid for students who have received a high school diploma
from certain online high school programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph f of subdivision 4 of section 661 of the educa-
2 tion law, as amended by section 1 of part Z of chapter 58 of the laws of
3 2011, is amended to read as follows:
4 f. For students who first receive aid pursuant to this chapter in
5 academic year two thousand seven--two thousand eight or thereafter, must
6 have (i) a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary
7 education from a state within the United States; or (ii) the recognized
8 equivalent of such certificate; or (iii) received a passing score on a
9 federally approved ability to benefit test that has been identified by
10 the board of regents as satisfying the eligibility requirements of this
11 section and has been independently administered and evaluated as defined
12 by the commissioner; or (iv) received a high school diploma, or the
13 equivalent thereof, from an online high school program located within
14 the United States that is accredited in accordance with paragraph four
15 of appendix three hundred two of the Job Corps Policy and Requirements
16 Handbook (Guidelines for the Ongoing Quality Monitoring of Job Corps
17 High School Diploma (HSD) Programs), as amended from time to time;
18 § 2. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education law
19 is amended by adding a new subparagraph 11 to read as follows:
20 (11) Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, such
21 regulations shall provide for eligibility of admission for students who
22 have completed an online high school program which (i) has in excess of
23 ten thousands students per year nationally complete such program, (ii)
24 is located within the United States, and (iii) is accredited in accord-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10514-01-5
S. 6705 2
1 ance with paragraph four of appendix three hundred two of the Job Corps
2 Policy and Requirements Handbook (Guidelines for the Ongoing Quality
3 Monitoring of Job Corps High School Diploma (HSD) Programs), as amended
4 from time to time;
5 § 3. Section 6306 of the education law is amended by adding a new
6 subdivision 3-b to read as follows:
7 3-b. The board of trustees of each community college, and those
8 provided for in the city of New York by subdivision three of this
9 section, shall adopt a policy for admission of students who have
10 completed an online high school program located within the United States
11 consistent with the provisions of subparagraph eleven of paragraph h of
12 subdivision two of section three hundred fifty-five of this chapter.
13 § 4. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
14 subdivision 13-a to read as follows:
15 13-a. The board of trustees shall provide standards for admission of
16 students who have completed an online high school program located within
17 the United States consistent with the provisions of subparagraph eleven
18 of paragraph h of subdivision two of section three hundred fifty-five of
19 this chapter.
20 § 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
21 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
22 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
23 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
24 on or before such effective date.
