A07245 Summary:
BILL NO | A07245A |
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SAME AS | SAME AS S02565-A |
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SPONSOR | Kelles |
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COSPNSR | |
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MLTSPNSR | |
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Amd §663, Ed L | |
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Allows the higher education services corporation to consider an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment in determining eligibility and award amount for the tuition assistance program. |
A07245 Memo:
Go to topNEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)   BILL NUMBER: A7245A SPONSOR: Kelles
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to allowing the higher education services corporation to consider an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment in determining eligibility and award amount for the tuition assistance program   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To allow the higher education services corporation(HESC), which adminis- ters the state's tuition assistance program (TAP), to consider a TAP applicant's more recent income in making adjustments to eligibility and award amounts if the applicant's change in income is due to loss of employment.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section one of the bill amends subdivision 5 of section 663 of education law adding a new paragraph b. allowing HESC to consider an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment in determining eligibil- ity and award amount for TAP. Section 2 is the effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is one of several state funded programs supporting students in their pursuit of higher education and since its establishment in 1974, TAP has provided aid to over 6 million students. The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) administers TAP and the program's application process which requires applicants to provide income tax information for the previous two years as part of determining eligibility and calculating award amounts. Under TAP's certification and eligibility guidelines, income adjustments will only be made under "limited situations" including divorce of parents or from spouse, death of wage-earning parent or spouse or total, permanent disability of wage-earning parent, student or spouse. The program does .not allow for adjustments to be made in the event of unem- ployment regardless of whether a student, parent, or spouse becomes unemployed prior to or during an academic year. Changes in income or employment can occur for various reasons, such as sudden changes in mental health or physical health of a student, wage-earning parent, or spouse. This bill will allow HESC to consider an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment of the applicant or parent of the appli- cant and utilize the applicant's income reported in the New York state income tax returns for the prior calendar year in making adjustments to eligibility and the amount of the award for such academic year. As Governor Hochul announced in October of 2024, expanded eligibility for TAP and increased TAP award amounts have resulted in thousands more students applying for and receiving financial aid. Many of these students and their families may experience a change in income during the year and the state should be flexible enough to recognize a need for an adjustment to the TAP award to compensate for that lost income. Doing so will enable more students to stay on track with their education - a goal we should do all we can to support.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2023/24: A9641 (Zebrowski) - referred to higher education 2021/22: A7050 (Zebrowski) - higher education reported to ways & means   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
A07245 Text:
Go to top STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7245--A 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. KELLES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to allowing the higher education services corporation to consider an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment in determining eligibility and award amount for the tuition assistance program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 663 of the education law, as 2 amended by section 3 of part J of chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 5. a. Adjustments of income. In the determination of income for 5 purposes of paragraphs a and b of subdivision three of section six 6 hundred sixty-seven of this part if, during the academic year in which 7 the applicant will receive an award, one of either the parents of the 8 applicant or other dependent child of such parents, the spouse of the 9 applicant, or one or more dependent children of the applicant, in addi- 10 tion to the applicant, will be in full-time attendance in an approved 11 program, the combined net taxable income determined under subdivision 12 one of this section shall be reduced by three thousand dollars and an 13 additional two thousand dollars for each other such person additional to 14 the aforesaid persons (including the applicant) who will be in such 15 attendance, and the resulting amount shall be deemed the applicable 16 income in determining the applicant's award for the academic year. 17 b. The corporation, pursuant to rules and regulations, shall consider 18 an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment of the 19 applicant or parent of the applicant and utilize the applicant's income 20 reported in New York state income tax returns for the prior calendar 21 year in making adjustments to eligibility and the amount of the award 22 for the current academic year. The corporation may require such documen- 23 tary evidence, testimony or affidavits as it deems sufficient in grant- 24 ing such an adjustment of an award. 25 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04951-02-5