STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7525
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
November 17, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sen. WEIK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the New
York nurse expansion 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 nurse expansion program. 1. Undergraduate students
4 who are matriculated in an approved undergraduate program leading to a
5 career in nursing at a New York state public or private degree granting
6 institution of higher education are eligible for the New York nurse
7 expansion program, provided the applicant: (a) graduates from a high
8 school located in New York state during or after the two thousand twen-
9 ty-one--two thousand twenty-two school year; (b) graduates within the
10 top thirty-three percent of his or her high school class; (c) enrolls in
11 full-time study each term beginning in the fall term after his or her
12 high school graduation in an approved undergraduate nursing program, as
13 defined by the corporation, at a New York state institution of higher
14 education; (d) signs a contract with the corporation agreeing that his
15 or her award will be converted to a student loan in the event the
16 student fails to comply with the terms of this program as set forth in
17 subdivision four of this section; and (e) complies with the applicable
18 provisions of this article and all requirements promulgated by the
19 corporation for the administration of the program.
20 2. Awards shall be granted beginning with the two thousand twenty-two-
21 -two thousand twenty-three academic year and thereafter to applicants at
22 New York state public or private degree granting institutions of higher
23 education that the corporation has determined are eligible to receive
24 such awards. The corporation shall grant such awards in an amount equal
25 to the amount of undergraduate tuition for residents of New York state
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13426-01-1
S. 7525 2
1 charged by the state university of New York or actual tuition charged,
2 whichever is less; provided, however, (a) a student who receives educa-
3 tional grants and/or scholarships that cover the student's full cost of
4 attendance shall not be eligible for an award under this program; (b)
5 for a student who receives educational grants and/or scholarships that
6 cover less than the student's full cost of attendance, such grants
7 and/or scholarships shall not be deemed duplicative of this program and
8 may be held concurrently with an award under this program, provided that
9 the combined benefits do not exceed the student's full cost of attend-
10 ance; and (c) an award under this program shall be applied to tuition
11 after the application of all other educational grants and scholarships
12 limited to tuition and shall be reduced in an amount equal to such
13 educational grants and/or scholarships. Upon notification of an award
14 under this program, the institution shall defer the amount of tuition
15 equal to the award. No award shall be final until the recipient's
16 successful completion of a term has been certified by the institution.
17 3. An eligible recipient shall not receive an award for more than four
18 academic years of full-time undergraduate study or five academic years
19 if the program of study normally requires five years, excluding any
20 allowable interruption of study.
21 4. The corporation shall convert to a student loan the full amount of
22 the award given pursuant to this section, plus interest, according to a
23 schedule to be determined by the corporation if: (a) a recipient fails
24 to complete an approved undergraduate nursing program; or (b) upon
25 completion of such undergraduate degree program a recipient fails to
26 either (i) complete five years of continuous full-time employment in the
27 field of nursing related to their studies with a public or private enti-
28 ty located within New York state, or (ii) maintain residency in New York
29 state for such period of employment; or (c) a recipient fails to respond
30 to requests by the corporation for the status of his or her academic or
31 professional progress. The terms and conditions of this subdivision
32 shall be deferred for individuals who graduate with a degree in an
33 approved undergraduate program and enroll on at least a half-time basis
34 in a graduate or higher degree program or other professional licensure
35 degree program until they are conferred a degree, and shall also be
36 deferred for any interruption in undergraduate study or employment as
37 established by the rules and regulations of the corporation. Any obli-
38 gation to comply with such provisions as outlined in this section shall
39 be cancelled upon the death of the recipient. Notwithstanding any
40 provisions of this subdivision to the contrary, the corporation is
41 authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to provide for the waiver
42 or suspension of any financial obligation which would involve extreme
43 hardship.
44 5. The corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations,
45 and may promulgate emergency regulations, necessary for the implementa-
46 tion of the provisions of this section, including, but not limited to,
47 the rate of interest charged for repayment of the student loan and the
48 criteria for distributing the awards.
49 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
50 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
51 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
52 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
53 on or before such date.
