Bill Text: NJ S1998 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits public colleges from charging tuition to students who are parents, spouses or children of those killed, missing in action or disabled in Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-24 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S1998 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S1998-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits public colleges from charging tuition to students who are parents, spouses or children of those killed, missing in action or disabled in Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning tuition-free enrollment in a public institution of higher education for certain students 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. As used in this act:
"Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
"Dependent student" means the parent, spouse, child, or other eligible dependent of a New Jersey resident who is killed, officially listed as "Missing in Action" by the United States Department of Defense, or totally and permanently disabled as certified by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs as a consequence of Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
2. a. A State college or university created pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, Rutgers, the State University, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the New Jersey Institute of Technology shall not collect tuition and fees charged for the Fall 2012 semester and subsequent semesters from dependent students.
b. A State college or university created pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, Rutgers, the State University, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the New Jersey Institute of Technology may submit an application to the authority for reimbursement for tuition and fees incurred by a dependent student for the Fall 2012 semester and subsequent semesters.
3. a. A county college or an independent four-year college or university may decide voluntarily not to collect tuition and fees charged for the Fall 2012 semester and subsequent semesters from dependent students.
b. A county college or an independent four-year college or university that voluntarily decides not to collect tuition and fees charged for the Fall 2012 semester and subsequent semesters from dependent students may apply to the authority for reimbursement up to the amount currently charged for tuition and fees by any State college or university for a full-time student who is a New Jersey resident, or for the actual tuition and fees charged, whichever is less.
4. The authority shall, in cooperation with the Secretary of Higher Education, develop a process for the review of applications for reimbursement submitted pursuant to subsection b. of section 2 and subsection b. of section 3 of this act.
5. The authority, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire when the "Military Survivors Scholarship Fund Act," P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill No. 738 of 2012), is operational as certified by the executive director of the authority.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that a State college or university created pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, Rutgers, the State University, the University of Medicine and Dentistry and the New Jersey Institute of Technology may not collect tuition and fees charged for the Fall 2012 semester and subsequent semesters from the parent, spouse, child, or other eligible dependent of a New Jersey resident who is killed, officially listed as "Missing in Action" by the United States Department of Defense, or totally and permanently disabled as certified by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs as a consequence of Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, defined in the bill as a "dependent student." A college or university required by the bill to forego collecting tuition and fees may submit to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority an application for reimbursement for the tuition and fees incurred by the dependent student.
The bill also provides that a county college or an independent four-year college or university may voluntarily decide to forego collecting tuition and fees for dependent students. In this case, the institution could apply to the authority for reimbursement up to the amount currently charged for tuition and fees by any State college or university for a full-time student who is a New Jersey resident, or for the actual tuition and fees charged, whichever is less.
The provisions in the bill would expire once scholarships are available under the "Military Survivors Scholarship Fund Act," which is to be established under separate legislation.
