Provides free SUNY and CUNY tuition, books, and fees to all current New York state and New York city employees who have been such employees for at least two years, and who continue such employment throughout their academic program.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6002
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 16, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 free SUNY
and CUNY tuition to all New York state and New York city employees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the educa-
2 tion law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 1-a to read as follows:
3 (1-a) The trustees shall implement a program to permit any student who
4 has been admitted to a state-operated institution of the state universi-
5 ty to attend without the payment of tuition, books, and fees if such
6 student is a current employee, and has been for at least two years, of
7 the state of New York or the city of New York. The provisions of this
8 subparagraph shall only apply to costs of one undergraduate and/or grad-
9 uate degree and any additional costs associated with more than one
10 simultaneous undergraduate or graduate degree shall not be covered by
11 this program.
12 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer
13 the program according to the following criteria:
14 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for
15 this program.
16 (B) The student shall be required to be a current employee of the
17 state or the city of New York for at least two years prior to making
18 such application and through the completion of his or her academic
19 program.
20 (C) Students shall be required to complete their degree program within
21 a minimum period of time to be set by the trustees which shall be no
22 fewer than three years and no more than five years.
23 (D) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point
24 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the
25 program.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11865-02-9
S. 6002 2
1 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the
2 requirements set forth in clause (i) of this subparagraph, the trustees
3 shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition which
4 would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New York
5 state higher education services corporation, plus interest, according to
6 a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment may also
7 be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for information
8 necessary to determine continued eligibility or for administration of
9 the program.
10 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this
11 subparagraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program
12 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be
13 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar-
14 agraph.
15 (iv) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous-
16 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges.
17 § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law is amended by
18 adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:
19 (f) The trustees shall implement a program to permit any student who
20 has been admitted to an institution operated by the city university to
21 attend without the payment of tuition, books, and fees if such student
22 fulfills the requirements of such program pursuant to the provisions of
23 this paragraph.
24 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer
25 the program according to the following criteria:
26 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for
27 this program.
28 (B) The student shall be required to be a current employee of the
29 state of New York or the city of New York for at least two years prior
30 to making such application and through the completion of his or her
31 academic program.
32 (C) Students shall be required to complete their degree program within
33 a minimum period of time to be set by the trustees which shall be no
34 fewer than three years and no more than five years.
35 (D) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point
36 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the
37 program.
38 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the
39 requirements set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the trus-
40 tees shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition
41 which would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New
42 York state higher education services corporation, plus interest, accord-
43 ing to a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment
44 may also be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for
45 information necessary to determine continued eligibility or for adminis-
46 tration of the program.
47 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this
48 paragraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program
49 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be
50 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar-
51 agraph.
52 (iv) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous-
53 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges.
54 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
55 have become a law.