Bill Text: NJ A4401 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides that NJBEST Program is available to persons with taxpayer identification number; establishes DREAM Commission to provide scholarships for children of immigrants; and requires teaching staff professional development include information on serving such children.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-08 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [A4401 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A4401-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANGEL FUENTES
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Provides that NJBEST Program is available to persons with taxpayer identification number; establishes DREAM Commission to provide scholarships for children of immigrants; and requires teaching staff professional development include information on serving such children.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning higher education for the children of immigrants and supplementing N.J.S.18A:71B-35 et seq. and chapter 71B and chapter 26 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust (NJBEST) Program shall be available to a contributor with a valid social security number or a taxpayer identification number for the benefit of a designated beneficiary with a valid social security number or a taxpayer identification number.
2. a. There is established in, but not of, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority a New Jersey Dream Fund Commission. The commission shall be composed of nine members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The members of the commission shall represent the geographic and ethnic diversity of the State and shall include students, college and university faculty, and other individuals committed to advancing the higher educational opportunities of the children of immigrants.
The members shall serve for three-year terms, but of the members first appointed, three shall be appointed for a term of one year, three shall be appointed for a term of two years, and three shall be appointed for a term of three years. A member shall hold office for the term of his appointment and until his successor is appointed and qualified.
Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments are made and a member shall be eligible for reappointment. Vacancies occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term.
The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.
The commission shall organize no later than 30 days after the appointment of all members and shall select a chairperson from among its members and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.
The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall provide such stenographic, clerical and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff, as the commission requires to carry out its work.
b. It shall be the duty of the commission to:
(1) raise funds for the New Jersey Dream Fund established pursuant to subsection f. of this section to finance higher education scholarships for students who reside in the State and who are the children of immigrants;
(2) publicize the scholarships available through the Dream Fund;
(3) select the recipients of DREAM Fund scholarships;
(4) research issues concerning the availability of assistance with the costs of higher education for the children of immigrants and other issues regarding access to higher education for the children of immigrants, and the performance of these students upon enrollment in colleges and universities; and
(5) establish and administer training programs for high school counselors and for counselors, admissions officers, and financial aid officers of public institutions of higher education. The training programs shall provide information on the educational opportunities, including scholarship programs, available to college-bound students who are the children of immigrants.
c. The commission may establish a public awareness campaign regarding educational opportunities available to college-bound students who are the children of immigrants.
d. The commission shall establish procedures for accepting and evaluating applications received from the children of immigrants for Dream Fund scholarships and for selecting scholarship recipients.
e. To receive a Dream Fund scholarship a student shall meet the following criteria:
(1) have resided with his parent or guardian while attending a public or nonpublic high school in this State;
(2) have graduated from a public or nonpublic high school in this State or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in this State;
(3) have attended school in this State for at least three years as of the date of graduation from high school or receipt of the equivalent of a high school diploma; and
(4) have at least one parent who immigrated to the United States.
f. There is established in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority a nonlapsing fund which shall be known as the New Jersey DREAM Fund. The fund shall be administered by the Dream Fund Commission established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The fund shall consist of investment earnings of the fund, and moneys contributed to the fund by private sources to be used for the purposes of this act. The moneys in the fund shall be invested and reinvested by the Director of the Division of Investment in the Department of the Treasury.
3. The State Board of Education shall require that as part of the professional development requirement established by the State board for public school teaching staff members, each teaching staff member complete professional development activities that address the needs of serving students who are the children of immigrants. If the teaching staff member holds a school counselor endorsement, the professional development activities shall also address opportunities for higher education for students who are undocumented immigrants.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill addresses the issue of advancing the higher educational opportunities available to the children of immigrants.
First, the bill establishes a New Jersey DREAM Fund Commission in, but not of, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. The commission will be composed of nine members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The members of the commission must represent the ethnic and geographic diversity of the State and will include students, faculty, and other individuals committed to advancing the higher educational opportunities of the children of immigrants.
It will be the duty of the commission to: raise funds for the DREAM Fund that is also established under the bill for the purpose of providing higher education scholarships to the children of immigrants; publicize the scholarships available; select the recipients of Dream Fund scholarships; research issues concerning the availability of assistance with the costs of higher education for the children of immigrants and other issues of access to higher education for such students; and establish training programs for high school counselors and for counselors, admissions officers, and financial aid officers of public institutions of higher education related to educational opportunities available to the children of immigrants.
Under the bill's provisions, to receive a scholarship from the DREAM Fund a student must: have resided with his parent or guardian while attending a public or nonpublic high school in this State and have graduated from such a high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in this State; have attended school in the State for at least three years as of the date of graduation from high school or receipt of the equivalent of a high school diploma; and have at least one parent who immigrated to the United States.
Finally, the bill requires that teaching staff members complete professional development activities that address the needs of serving students who are the children of immigrants. If the teaching staff member holds a school counselor endorsement, the professional development activities must also address opportunities for higher education for students who are undocumented immigrants.
