NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1185
SPONSOR: McDonald TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing tuition
assistance program awards for students enrolled in short-term credential
programs offered by certain public institutions
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing tuition
assistance program awards for students enrolled in short-term credential
programs offered by certain public institutions
PURPOSE:
To allow the president of the higher education services corporation
(HESC) to expand the tuition assistance program (TAP) to include
students enrolled in an eligible short-term credential program offered
by offered by certain public institutions.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one adds a new section, § 667-c-2, to the education law, author-
izing the president of HESC to expand the availability of the tuition
assistance program to students enrolled in eligible . short-term
credential programs offered by SUNY, community colleges, CUNY, or a
board of cooperative educational services. This section also defines a
short-term credential programs as a program:
a. between 150 to 600 hours of instructional time over a period of 8 to
15 weeks;
b. that provides training for a high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand
industry sectors or occupations in the state, as determined by the
commissioner of education, in consultation with the department of
labor;and
c. that provides students, once they successfully complete the program,
with a postsecondary credential recognized by industry leaders or sector
partnerships in the relevant industry or field. Lastly, provides a
formula for determining the value of the TAP award to be given to a
student enrolled in a short-term credential program as compared to the
award typically given to a student matriculating in a degree-granting
institution. The value of such award will be deducted from the student's
overall TAP eligibility.
Section two provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
This amendment to the education law will provide more pathways to higher
education, job opportunities, and a new way to lift people from poverty
by expanding TAP to short-term credential programs. The expansion of TAP
will allow students better access to non-traditional postsecondary
educations and enable them to acquire the skills necessary to gain
employment in high demand fields.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-2022: A.9989
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1185
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. McDONALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing tuition
assistance program awards for students enrolled in short-term creden-
tial programs offered by certain public institutions
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
2 667-c-2 to read as follows:
3 § 667-c-2. Short-term credential tuition assistance program awards. 1.
4 Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the pres-
5 ident of the higher education services corporation is authorized to make
6 tuition assistance program awards to students enrolled in short-term
7 credential programs offered by the state university of New York (SUNY),
8 a community college established pursuant to article one hundred twen-
9 ty-six of this chapter, the city university of New York (CUNY), or a
10 board of cooperative educational services established pursuant to arti-
11 cle forty of this chapter, who meet all requirements for tuition assist-
12 ance program awards.
13 2. For purposes of this section, a short-term credential program is
14 one that:
15 a. provides not less than one hundred fifty, and not more than six
16 hundred, clock hours of instructional time over a period of not less
17 than eight weeks and not more than fifteen weeks;
18 b. provides training aligned with the requirements of high-skill,
19 high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the state, as
20 determined by the commissioner, in consultation with the department of
21 labor; and
22 c. provides a student, upon completion of the program, with a recog-
23 nized postsecondary credential that is recognized by employers in the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02535-01-3
A. 1185 2
1 relevant industry, including credentials recognized by industry or
2 sector partnerships in the relevant industry in the state;
3 3. a. For students enrolled in a short-term credential program as
4 defined in this section, the award shall be calculated as provided in
5 section six hundred sixty-seven of this article and shall be in an
6 amount equal to the enrollment factor percent of the award the student
7 would have been eligible for if the student were enrolled full-time at a
8 degree-granting institution or registered not-for-profit business school
9 qualified for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the internal
10 revenue code for federal income tax purposes. The enrollment factor
11 percent is the percentage obtained by dividing the number of hours the
12 student is enrolled in, as certified by the school, by the number of
13 hours required for full-time study, at a degree-granting institution or
14 registered not-for-profit business school qualified for tax exemption
15 under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code for federal
16 income tax purposes, for a semester, quarter, or term, as defined by the
17 commissioner.
18 b. Any award a student receives pursuant to this section shall be
19 counted as the enrollment factor percent of a semester, quarter or term
20 toward the maximum term of eligibility for tuition assistance awards
21 pursuant to section six hundred sixty-seven of this article. The total
22 period of study for which payment may be made shall not exceed the
23 equivalent of the maximum period authorized for that award.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
