Bill Text: NJ S928 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides free tuition at public institutions of higher education for surviving spouses and dependent children of military personnel killed in performance of duties.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S928 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S928-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
Provides free tuition at public institutions of higher education for surviving spouses and dependent children of military personnel killed in performance of duties.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act providing scholarships for dependent children and surviving spouses of military personnel 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. a. Any resident of New Jersey who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces who is killed in the performances of his duties, upon being accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study in a State college or university created pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers, The State University, Rowan University, or a county college shall, while enrolled as an undergraduate student in good standing at the institution, have his tuition paid by the State. The amount of the scholarship shall not exceed an amount equal to the portion of tuition costs at the institution that is not otherwise covered by any other scholarship, tuition aid grant, benefit or other assistance awarded to the recipient under the "Higher Education Student Assistance Authority Law," N.J.S.18A:71A-1 et seq.
b. Eligibility for a scholarship, in the case of a surviving spouse, shall be limited to a period of eight years from the date of death of the person for initial receipt of the benefits under the program. In the case of a dependent child, eligibility shall be limited to a period of eight years following graduation from high school.
2. 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 carry out the provisions of this act.
3. There shall be annually appropriated to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority such sums as shall be necessary to carry out the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the 2022-2023 academic year.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that any resident of New Jersey who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces who is killed in the performances of his duties, upon being accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study in a State college or university created pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers, The State University, Rowan University, or a county college will, while enrolled as an undergraduate student in good standing at the institution, have his tuition paid by the State. The amount of the scholarship may not exceed an amount equal to the portion of tuition costs at the institution that is not otherwise covered by any other State scholarship, tuition aid grant, benefit or other assistance awarded to the recipient.
The bill also provides that, in the case of a dependent child, eligibility for the scholarship will be limited to eight years following graduation from high school. A surviving spouse will be eligible for initial receipt of the scholarship for a period of eight years from the date of death of the person.
