Bill Text: NJ S144 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "New Jersey College Ready Students Program Act"; provides tuition-free dual enrollment opportunities at county college for certain high school students.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S144 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S144-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "New Jersey College Ready Students Program Act"; provides tuition-free dual enrollment opportunities at county college for certain high school students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning dual enrollment opportunities for certain students and supplementing chapter 61C of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New Jersey College Ready Students Program Act."
2. a. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, shall establish a program to provide for the tuition-free enrollment of certain public high school students who enroll in dual enrollment courses at a county college.
b. In determining eligibility for the tuition benefit provided pursuant to this section, the criteria shall be the same as the Statewide eligibility standards regarding family need established by the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund created by section 4 of P.L.1968, c.142 (C.18A:71-31) to qualify for financial assistance from the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund.
c. An eligible student may receive up to 3 credits tuition-free per semester, and no more than 6 credits tuition-free in a school year in each of the 11th and 12th grades provided that:
(1) the school district in which the student is enrolled has entered into a dual enrollment agreement with a county college pursuant to the provisions of section 1 of P.L.2014, c.74 (C.18A:61C-10); and
(2) the student has earned a minimum grade point average to indicate college readiness, as determined by the commissioner.
In order to maintain eligibility for the program, a student shall receive a grade of C or higher for all college courses completed through the program.
In the event that an otherwise eligible student does not meet the minimum grade point average requirement established pursuant to this section, the student shall be eligible to complete one remedial course through the county college tuition-free per semester of eligibility.
d. The State shall bear the cost of tuition for students who participate in the program.
3. The Commissioner of Education shall annually submit a report on the program to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall be submitted no later than August 1 of each year and shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for the prior school year: the number of students who participated in the program; the number of participants who successfully completed dual enrollment courses; the cost of the program, the number of credits earned by participants through the program; the number of remedial courses completed by participants through the program, the number of 12th grade participants who graduated high school; and the number of 12th grade participants who plan to enroll in college in the upcoming school year.
4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "New Jersey College Ready Students Program Act." Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, is directed to establish a program to provide for the tuition-free enrollment of certain public high school students who enroll in dual enrollment courses at a local county college.
In determining eligibility for the tuition benefit provided pursuant to the bill, the criteria will be the same as the Statewide eligibility standards regarding family need established by the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund to qualify for financial assistance from the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund.
A student may receive up to 3 credits tuition-free per semester, and no more than 6 credits tuition-free in a school year in each of the 11th and 12th grades provided that:
(1) the school district in which the student is enrolled has entered into a dual enrollment agreement with a county college pursuant to the provisions of State law; and
(2) the student has earned a minimum grade point average to indicate college readiness, as determined by the commissioner.
In order to maintain eligibility for the program, a student shall receive a grade of C or higher for all college courses completed through the program.
In the event that an otherwise eligible student does not meet the minimum grade point average requirement established pursuant to this section, the student shall be eligible to complete one remedial course through the county college tuition-free per semester of eligibility.
Under the bill, the State will bear the cost of tuition for students who participate in the program.
The Commissioner of Education is directed to annually submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the program.
