Bill Text: NJ A5108 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes scholarship program to provide free tuition to certain eligible students attending county college.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-07-13 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [A5108 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A5108-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman MARLENE CARIDE
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes scholarship program to provide free tuition to certain eligible students attending county college.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning a tuition-free county college scholarship program and supplementing chapter 71B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is established a scholarship program to provide free tuition to eligible students, as defined in section 2 of this act, who are enrolled in a New Jersey county college and who continue to meet the criteria and conditions of the scholarship program as set forth in this act. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall administer the program.
2. a. To be eligible to receive a scholarship under the program, a student shall:
(1) be a State resident pursuant to guidelines established by the authority;
(2) be enrolled in a full-time course of undergraduate study at a New Jersey county college;
(3) complete at least 30 credits or the equivalent in each academic year; provided, however, that the authority by regulation shall establish limited hardship exceptions to the 30-credit requirement;
(4) have applied for all other available forms of State and federal need-based grants and merit scholarships, exclusive of loans, for which the student is eligible; and
(5) have an annual family income that does not exceed $125,000, where "annual family income" means both taxable and nontaxable income, as derived from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year.
b. In order to receive an award under the program, an eligible student shall be required to maintain the minimum grade point average necessary for the successful completion of the student's coursework at the county college.
3. A scholarship award under the program shall cover the full cost of tuition, subject to the prior application of other grants and scholarships against those costs, for an eligible student enrolled in a county college. The full amount of any other grants or scholarships awarded to the student shall be applied to tuition to reduce the amount of any scholarship that the student receives under the provisions of this act.
4. a. An eligible student enrolled in a county college who receives a scholarship under the program shall not receive an award for more than two academic years of full-time study. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection to the contrary, the duration of a scholarship award under the program may be extended for certain allowable interruptions of study pursuant to regulations adopted by the authority. An allowable interruption of study shall include, but need not be limited to, military service, medical leave, and a family death or family emergency.
b. A student who previously earned an associate degree is ineligible to receive a scholarship award under the program.
5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a New Jersey scholarship program to provide free tuition to eligible students who are enrolled in a county college and who continue to meet the criteria and conditions of the scholarship program. The program will be administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA).
In order to be eligible to participate in the scholarship program, a student is required to: (1) be a State resident; (2) be enrolled in a full-time course of undergraduate study at a New Jersey county college; (3) complete at least 30 credits or the equivalent in each academic year; provided, however, that HESAA will establish limited hardship exceptions to the 30-credit requirement; (4) apply for all other available forms of State and federal need-based grants and merit scholarships for which the student is eligible; and (5) have an annual family income that does not exceed $125,000. In addition, an eligible student who receives a scholarship award is required to maintain the minimum grade point average needed for the successful completion of the student's coursework at the county college.
A scholarship awarded to an eligible student under the program will cover the full cost of tuition, except that the full amount of any other grants or scholarships awarded to the student will be applied to tuition first to reduce the amount of the scholarship received by the student under the program. An eligible student enrolled in a county college may not receive an award for more than two academic years of full-time study. However the duration of a scholarship award under the program may be extended for certain allowable interruptions of study pursuant to regulations adopted by HESAA. An allowable interruption of study will include military service, medical leave, and a family death or family emergency.
