Provides tuition awards to children of firefighters, police officers, volunteer firefighters, and EMTs with permanent and total disabilities, to be applied to any college or university in the state university system or the city university of New York; provides that the award is for tuition, less other aid, and is limited to 4 or 5 academic years.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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2944
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 6, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sen. NOZZOLIO -- 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 providing tuition
awards to children of firefighters, police officers, volunteer fire-
fighters, and emergency medical technicians with permanent and total
disabilities
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-e
2 to read as follows:
3 § 669-e. Tuition awards for children of firefighters, police officers,
4 volunteer firefighters, and emergency medical technicians with permanent
5 and total disabilities. 1. Eligibility. A child whose parent is a fire-
6 fighter, police officer, volunteer firefighter, or emergency medical
7 technician who is eligible for permanent and total disability benefits,
8 shall be eligible for a tuition award to be made available by the presi-
9 dent of the higher education services corporation. Such tuition award
10 may be applied to any college, community college, state university of
11 New York, or the city university of New York.
12 2. Amount. The tuition award shall be equal to the cost of undergradu-
13 ate tuition, offset by any other financial assistance or award received.
14 If a tuition assistance program (TAP) award is also received, the
15 combined academic year award shall not exceed tuition.
16 3. Duration. (a) No recipient of a tuition award under this section
17 shall receive a tuition award for more than eight semesters of full time
18 undergraduate study, or the equivalent of four academic years, or, if an
19 undergraduate program normally requires five academic years of full time
20 study, for more than ten semesters of full time study, or the equivalent
21 of five academic years. "Full time study" shall mean enrollment for more
22 than twelve semester hours per semester, or the equivalent, in an
23 approved undergraduate program.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00732-01-9
S. 2944 2
1 (b) No recipient of a tuition award under this section shall receive a
2 tuition award for more than sixteen semesters of part time undergraduate
3 study, or the equivalent of eight academic years of part time study, or,
4 if an undergraduate program normally requires five academic years of
5 full time study, for more than twenty semesters of part time study, or
6 the equivalent of ten academic years. "Part time study" shall mean
7 enrollment for at least three but less than twelve semester hours per
8 semester, or the equivalent, in an approved undergraduate program.
9 4. Applicability of awards. Tuition awards provided under this section
10 shall only be available within the state of New York university system
11 or the city university of New York.
12 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
13 the date on which it shall have become a law.
