Establishes the New York state educating leaders for excellence in community transformation program to provide loan forgiveness and scholarship awards to certain students who demonstrate excellence in student government, civic organizations, or through campus or community leadership activities.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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2550--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
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Introduced by Sens. LAVALLE, HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
-- recommitted to the Committee on Higher Education in accordance with
Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the New
York state educating leaders for excellence in community transforma-
tion 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 669-i
2 to read as follows:
3 § 669-i. New York state educating leaders for excellence in community
4 transformation (NY-ELECTs). 1. Purpose. The New York state educating
5 leaders for excellence in community transformation (NY-ELECTs) program
6 is hereby established to provide loan forgiveness or scholarship awards
7 to students who demonstrate excellence in student government, civic
8 organizations, or through campus or community leadership activities.
9 2. Eligibility. a. To be eligible for such awards, an applicant must
10 have graduated from a New York state high school, be enrolled in a
11 program of study in a New York state post-secondary institution begin-
12 ning in the two thousand eighteen-two thousand nineteen academic year or
13 thereafter, and have either:
14 (i) been granted an associate's degree within two years of having
15 entered the program;
16 (ii) been granted an associate's degree within two years of having
17 entered the program and have enrolled in a four year institution with
18 the equivalent number of transferable credits to be considered entering
19 such program designated as a junior; or
20 (iii) been enrolled in a four year degree program, and have success-
21 fully completed freshman and sophomore years within two years.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08036-02-8
S. 2550--A 2
1 b. An applicant must also have:
2 (i) maintained a 3.0 grade point average or above;
3 (ii) been involved in or held leadership positions in student govern-
4 ment, civic clubs or organizations, or demonstrated leadership in campus
5 or community activities, as determined by the department; and
6 (iii) agreed to live and work in New York state upon graduation for at
7 least two of the next five years, and if the award is a scholarship
8 award, agree to have such award converted into a student loan if such
9 applicant fails to fulfill this requirement.
10 3. Loan forgiveness awards. A qualifying applicant may file an appli-
11 cation with the department for a loan forgiveness award if such appli-
12 cant meets the requirements of subparagraph (i) of paragraph a and para-
13 graph b of subdivision two of this section.
14 4. Scholarship awards. A qualifying applicant may file an application
15 with the department if such applicant meets the requirements of subpara-
16 graphs (ii) and (iii) of paragraph a and paragraph b of subdivision two
17 of this section.
18 5. Awards. Within amounts appropriated therefor, the president shall
19 grant loan forgiveness or scholarship awards to eligible applicants for
20 the duration of two years. Such awards shall not exceed six thousand
21 five hundred dollars per year; and shall not exceed the total cost of
22 student loan debt for a loan forgiveness award, or shall not exceed the
23 total cost of tuition at a four year institution within the state
24 university of New York system after any other state or federal financial
25 aid is applied.
26 6. Rules. The corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regu-
27 lations, and may promulgate emergency regulations, necessary for the
28 implementation of the provisions of this section.
29 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
