New Jersey-2022-A687-Introduced

An Act concerning student financial aid and amending P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-111 et seq.).

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 1 of P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-111) is amended to read as follows:

1. As used in this act:

"Adult student" means a postsecondary student who is enrolled in a postsecondary career and technical education program that prepares the student to earn a license or industry-recognized certification or to take a nationally-recognized exam.

"Annual adjusted gross income" means:

a. for a dependent student, the annual adjusted gross income of the student's parent or legal guardian, as reported on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid or other financial aid form; and

b. for an independent student, the annual adjusted gross income of the student and, if applicable, the spouse of the student, as reported on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid or other financial aid form.

"Approved educational fees" means general education fees, registration fees, facility fees, technology fees, laboratory fees, student service and activity fees, and program and course fees, including fees associated with coursework in nursing, culinary, and other career and technical education programs as determined by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education , subject to the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the program.

"Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71A-3.

"County vocational school district" means any entity established pursuant to article 3 of chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

"Out-of-county college" and "out-of-county vocational school district" means a county college or a county vocational school district that is outside of a student's county of residence.

"Program" means the Community College Opportunity Grant Program created pursuant to section 2 of this act.

"Three plus one degree program" means a baccalaureate degree program created pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2018, c.144 (C.18A:3B-78).

(cf: P.L.2021, c.26, s.1)

2. Section 2 of P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-112) is amended to read as follows:

2. There is hereby created the Community College Opportunity Grant Program. The purpose of the program shall be to provide financial aid grants to eligible county college and adult county vocational school district students, to cover the costs of tuition and approved educational fees that are not already covered by any other State, federal, and institutional need-based grants or merit scholarships and to provide county colleges with Student Success Incentive funding for outreach and student success initiatives. The financial aid grants distributed to eligible students under the program shall be administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, while the Student Success Incentive funding distributed to county colleges under the program shall be administered by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.26, s.2)

3. Section 3 of P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-113) is amended to read as follows:

3. a. To be eligible to receive a financial aid grant under the Community College Opportunity Grant Program, a student shall:

(1) be a legal resident of the State in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.18A:71B-2 or be eligible for student financial aid pursuant to P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1). A student who otherwise meets the provisions of N.J.S.18A:71B-2 or P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1), except for any requirement under those provisions of law to be enrolled in an eligible institution of higher education, shall be eligible to receive a financial aid grant under the program if the student is an adult student enrolled in a postsecondary career and technical education program offered by a county vocational school district;

(2) be enrolled in at least six credits at a county college established pursuant to chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes or be an adult student enrolled in a postsecondary career and technical education program of at least four months in length at a county vocational school district;

(3) (a) be enrolled at the county college or county vocational school district that serves the student's county of residence; or

(b) be enrolled at an out-of-county college, in which case the student, if otherwise eligible, shall receive a grant under the program to cover the remaining costs of tuition and approved educational fees, charged at the in-district rate for the county college at which the student is enrolled, provided that the amount of a grant provided to a student under this subparagraph does not exceed the amount of tuition and approved educational fees actually charged to the student. An adult student enrolled in an out-of-county vocational school district, if otherwise eligible, shall receive a grant under the program to cover the remaining costs of tuition and approved educational fees, charged at the out-of-county rate of the county vocational school district at which the student is enrolled;

(4) not have an annual adjusted gross income that is negative;

(5) have an annual adjusted gross income between $0 and $65,000, except that the authority, in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education [and], the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, and the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, may annually establish maximum annual adjusted gross income eligibility limits of no less than $65,000;

(6) have applied for all other available forms of State, federal, and institutional need-based grants and merit scholarships and, in accordance with annually established deadline dates, have completed and submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, other financial aid form, or, as applicable, a State financial aid form as required by the authority pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1);

(7) not owe a refund on a grant or scholarship previously received from a State or federal program through any institution or be in default on any loan made under any State or federal student loan program at any institution, unless the student makes arrangements with the authority to repay the debt; and

(8) be in good academic standing and meet the minimum standards for academic performance and satisfactory academic progress as defined by the county college or county vocational school district which the student is attending.

A county college or county vocational school district shall not impose additional eligibility requirements for the program, other than the requirements set forth in this subsection.

b. A grant under the program may be renewed for a student who:

(1) annually completes and submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, other financial aid form, or, as applicable, a State financial aid form as required by the authority pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1);

(2) (a) meets the standards for academic performance and satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the county college which the student is attending, to determine eligibility for federal student aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or, in the semester immediately prior to receiving an award, attains a minimum level of academic success as determined by the authority; or

(b) meets the standards for academic performance and satisfactory academic progress as defined by the county vocational school district which the student is attending; and

(3) maintains all applicable eligibility requirements established pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

c. (1) A student shall be eligible for a grant under the program for up to five semesters, unless the student is enrolled in a program regularly requiring at least six semesters for completion, in which case the authority shall permit up to six semesters of eligibility.

(2) A student enrolled in a three plus one degree program shall be eligible for a grant under the program for up to six semesters.

(3) Semesters for which a student is enrolled in at least six credits but less than 12 credits shall be counted as one-half of a full-time semester.

(4) An adult student enrolled in a postsecondary career and technical education program, who is eligible for a financial aid grant pursuant to subsection a. of this section, shall be eligible for a financial aid grant for up to two years.

d. A student may be eligible for a grant under the program during a fall or spring semester in an academic year.

e. If a student, the student's family, [or] a county college, or a county vocational school district deems that the authority made an unfair determination of eligibility, an appeal may be filed with the authority within 60 days of initial notification of eligibility or ineligibility.

f. The county college or county vocational school district which a student attends shall notify the student of the student's eligibility for the program and the amount of the grant.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.26, s.3)

4. Section 4 of P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-114) is amended to read as follows:

4. a. A grant distributed to an eligible student under the Community College Opportunity Grant Program shall cover the remaining cost of tuition and approved educational fees, which is not covered by State, federal, or any other need-based grant or merit scholarship, for up to 18 credits in any semester. The full amount of State, federal, and institutional need-based grant or merit scholarships received by an eligible student shall be applied to the amount of tuition and approved educational fees charged to an eligible student. The remaining balance of tuition and approved educational fees shall be covered by a grant under the program.

b. A full award under the program to a student at a county college or an adult student enrolled in a postsecondary career and technical education program at a county vocational school district shall be equal to the student's full cost of approved tuition and approved educational fees, subject to the prior application of all other State, federal, and institutional need-based grants and merit scholarships against those costs, for up to 18 credits in any semester, for an eligible student for a full-time semester in an associate's degree, certificate, [or] three plus one degree program, or for up to the recognized equivalent number of credits in a postsecondary career and technical education program as determined by the authority. For an eligible student enrolled in at least six credits but less than 12 credits in an associate's degree, certificate, or three plus one degree program, or for an adult student enrolled in the recognized equivalent range of credits in a postsecondary career and technical education program as determined by the authority, a grant under the program shall be pro-rated from the full-time approved tuition and approved educational fees based on the number of credits for which that student is enrolled.

c. The authority shall, for each county college and county vocational school district, annually establish a maximum individual grant amount awarded under the program. The maximum individual grant amount for each county college and county vocational school district shall not increase by more than three percent over the prior year.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.26, s.4)

5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first academic year following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill amends the law establishing the Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) Program to permit adult students enrolled in postsecondary career and technical education programs at county vocational school districts to be eligible to receive financial aid under the program.

Under current State law, the CCOG Program provides last-dollar grants to eligible county college students, to pay for the remaining costs of tuition and approved educational fees that are not already covered by any other State, federal, and institutional need-based grants and merit scholarships for which a grant recipient is eligible.

Under the bill, an adult student would be eligible for financial aid under the CCOG Program if the student: is a legal resident of the State; is enrolled in a postsecondary career and technical education program of at least four months in length offered by a county vocational school district; is enrolled at the county vocational school district that serves the student's county of residence or is enrolled at an out-of-county vocational school district, in which case the student, if otherwise eligible, would receive a grant under the program to cover the remaining costs of tuition and approved educational fees, charged at the in-district rate for the county vocational school district at which the student is enrolled; does not have an annual adjusted gross income that is negative; has an annual adjusted gross income between $0 and $65,000; has applied for all other available forms of State, federal, and institutional need-based grants and merit scholarships and submitted a financial aid form; does not owe a refund on a grant or scholarship previously received from a State or federal program through any institution or be in default on any loan made under any State or federal student loan program at any institution, unless the student makes arrangements with the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to repay the debt; and is in good academic standing and meets the minimum standards for academic performance and satisfactory academic progress as defined by county vocational school district which the student is attending.

An adult education student enrolled in a postsecondary career and technical education program at a county vocational school district, who is eligible for a financial aid grant under the bill, would be eligible for a financial aid grant for up to two years.