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A05161 Summary:

BILL NOA05161
 
SAME ASSAME AS S04752
 
SPONSORTannousis
 
COSPNSRChang, Novakhov
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd §§663 & 667, Ed L
 
Permits the commissioner of education to include graduate programs as programs eligible for approval under the state tuition assistance program.
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A05161 Actions:

BILL NOA05161
 
03/03/2023referred to higher education
01/03/2024referred to higher education
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A05161 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A5161
 
SPONSOR: Tannousis
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to tuition assistance program awards   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:: This bill will include graduate programs as eligible for approval under the state tuition assistance program, making a restoration to the program eliminated in 2010.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:: Section 1 amends Section 663 subdivision 3 paragraph a of the education law, as amended by Chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, Section 4 part J. Section 2 amends Section 663 subdivision 3 paragraph b sub-paragraph l's opening paragraph of the education law, as amended by Chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, section 5 part J. Section 3 amends section 663 subdivision 3 paragraph d of the education law, as amended by Chapter 58 of the laws of• 2011, section 6 part J. Section 4 amends section 667 subdivisions 1 and 2 of the education law, as amended by Chapter 622 of the laws of 2008 subdivision 1, and Chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, subdivision 2 section one part J. Section 5 gives the effective date   JUSTIFICATION:: In 2010, the state legislature eliminated the tuition assistance program for all graduate degree programs. As a result, New York State's graduate students no longer are eligible or have access to the State's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), making it increasingly difficult for students to further their education and obtain a graduate degree. Many jobs which formerly required only a bachelor's degree are now call- ing for a master's degree or higher. For many in this situation, the cost of graduate school is simply too expensive for them to earn a high- er degree, even while working and attending school part-time. This bill would provide these students with access to tuition assistance needed to afford graduate school and make them more competitive in today's job market. This bill will also lead to a more educated New York and will fill job openings in this state with capable New Yorkers.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:: 2021 A6917 Referred to Higher Education   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:: Approximately $2 to $3 million annually.   EFFECTIVE DATE:: This act shall take effect immediately.
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A05161 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          5161
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      March 3, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  TANNOUSIS  --  read once and referred to the
          Committee on Higher Education
 
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in  relation  to  tuition  assistance
          program awards
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 663 of  the  educa-
     2  tion law, as amended by section 4 of part J of chapter 58 of the laws of
     3  2011, is amended to read as follows:
     4    a.  In determining the amount of an award for graduate and undergradu-
     5  ate students, the income of the parents shall be excluded if the student
     6  has been emancipated from his parents.
     7    § 2. The opening paragraph of subparagraph 1 of paragraph b of  subdi-
     8  vision 3 of section 663 of the education law, as amended by section 5 of
     9  part J of chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
    10    The applicant is a student who was married on or before December thir-
    11  ty-first  of  the  calendar  year prior to the beginning of the academic
    12  year for which application is made or is an  undergraduate  student  who
    13  has  reached  the age of twenty-two on or before June thirtieth prior to
    14  the academic year for which application is made or is a graduate student
    15  and who, during the calendar year next preceding the  semester,  quarter
    16  or  term  of  attendance  for which application is made and at all times
    17  subsequent thereto up to and  including  the  entire  period  for  which
    18  application is made:
    19    § 3. Paragraph d of subdivision 3 of section 663 of the education law,
    20  as  amended by section 6 of part J of chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, is
    21  amended to read as follows:
    22    d. Any graduate or undergraduate student who was  allowed  to  exclude
    23  parental  income  pursuant to the provisions of former subdivision three
    24  of section six hundred three of this chapter as they  existed  prior  to

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05139-01-3

        A. 5161                             2
 
     1  July  first,  nineteen hundred seventy-four may continue to exclude such
     2  income for so long as he continues to comply with such provisions.
     3    §  4. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 667 of the education law, subdi-
     4  vision 1 as amended by chapter 622 of the laws of 2008 and subdivision 2
     5  as amended by chapter 376 of the laws of 2019, are amended  to  read  as
     6  follows:
     7    1.  Recipient  qualifications.  Tuition  assistance program awards are
     8  available for all students who are enrolled in approved programs and who
     9  demonstrate the ability to complete such  courses,  in  accordance  with
    10  standards  established  by  the  commissioner provided, however, that no
    11  award shall be made unless tuition (exclusive of educational fees)  and,
    12  if  applicable,  the  college  fee levied by the state university of New
    13  York pursuant to the April first, nineteen hundred sixty-four  financing
    14  agreements  with  the New York state dormitory authority charged for the
    15  program in which the student is enrolled  total  at  least  two  hundred
    16  dollars  a  year,  and  provided  further  that, no award can exceed one
    17  hundred percent of the amount of  tuition  charged.    Nothing  in  this
    18  section,  section  six  hundred  sixty-one  of  this  part, or any other
    19  provision of this chapter shall be read to exclude any graduate  program
    20  from  classification  by the commissioner as an approved program for the
    21  purposes of this section.
    22    2. Duration. No undergraduate shall be eligible  for  more  than  four
    23  academic  years of study, or five academic years if the program of study
    24  normally requires five years. Students enrolled in a program of remedial
    25  study, approved by the commissioner in an institution of  higher  educa-
    26  tion and intended to culminate in a degree in undergraduate study shall,
    27  for  purposes of this section, be considered as enrolled in a program of
    28  study normally requiring five years. An undergraduate  student  enrolled
    29  in  an  eligible  two year program of study approved by the commissioner
    30  shall be eligible for no more than three academic  years  of  study.  An
    31  undergraduate  student  enrolled in an approved two or four-year program
    32  of study approved by the  commissioner  who  must  transfer  to  another
    33  institution  as  a result of permanent college closure shall be eligible
    34  for up to two additional semesters, or their equivalent, to  the  extent
    35  credits  necessary  to  complete his or her program of study were deemed
    36  non-transferable from the closed institution or were deemed not applica-
    37  ble to such student's program of study by the new institution.  No grad-
    38  uate student shall be eligible for more  than  four  academic  years  of
    39  study  provided, however, that no graduate student shall be eligible for
    40  more than one degree program at  the  master's,  first  professional  or
    41  doctorate  level.  No student shall be eligible for a total of more than
    42  the equivalent of eight years of  combined  undergraduate  and  graduate
    43  study.  Any  semester,  quarter,  or  term  of attendance during which a
    44  student receives any award under this article, after the effective  date
    45  of the former scholar incentive program and prior to academic year nine-
    46  teen  hundred  eighty-nine--nineteen  hundred  ninety,  shall be counted
    47  toward the maximum term of eligibility for tuition assistance under this
    48  section, except that any semester, quarter or term of attendance  during
    49  which  a  student  received  an  award  pursuant  to section six hundred
    50  sixty-six of this subpart shall be counted as one-half  of  a  semester,
    51  quarter  or  term, as the case may be, toward the maximum term of eligi-
    52  bility under this section. Any semester, quarter or term  of  attendance
    53  during which a student received an award pursuant to section six hundred
    54  sixty-seven-a  of  this  subpart shall not be counted toward the maximum
    55  term of eligibility under this section.
    56    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
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