Bill Text: NJ S2104 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires public institutions of higher education to grant at least six academic credits to certain veterans.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-16 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S2104 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-S2104-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires public institutions of higher education to grant at least six academic credits to certain veterans.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning veterans at public institutions of higher education, supplementing chapter 3B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and repealing P.L.2019, c.327.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, "veteran" means an individual who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard, and who was honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service.
b. A public institution of higher education shall adopt a policy to award academic credit to veterans. The policy shall grant a veteran who is accepted to pursue a course of study at the institution a minimum of six credits upon the veteran's enrollment.
In the event that an institution determines to grant a veteran academic credits in addition to the six credits required pursuant to this subsection, the institution shall take into account and give due consideration to the credit recommendation of the American Council on Education. The credit recommendation of the council represents college-level equivalencies based on a review of workforce training, military training or occupations, and other sources of learning outside the college classroom.
2. Sections 1 and 2 of P.L.2019, c.327 (C.18A:3B-42a) are repealed.
3. Section 1 of this act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following the date of enactment and section 2 of this act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires public institutions of higher education to adopt policies to award academic credit to honorably discharged veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard. The policy adopted by an institution of higher education must grant a veteran who is accepted to pursue a course of study at the institution a minimum of six credits upon the veteran's enrollment.
Under the bill, if an institution determines to grant a veteran academic credits in addition to the required six credits, the institution must take into account and give due consideration to the credit recommendation of the American Council on Education. The credit recommendation of the council represents college-level equivalencies based on a review of workforce training, military training or occupations, and other sources of learning outside the college classroom.
The bill repeals P.L.2019, c.327 which requires each public and independent institution of higher education to accept and apply appropriate credit for a student's military experience, following a determination by the institution that the credits are in alignment with appropriate courses and correspond to the degree being pursued at the institution. The provisions of this bill ensure that a veteran receives a minimum of six credits upon enrollment in a public institution of higher education.
