Bill Text: NY A04892 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to establishing the COVID-19 children scholarship; provides that children whose parent, primary caretaker or sibling died or was disabled as a result of contracting COVID-19 shall be eligible for such scholarship.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to higher education [A04892 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A04892-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4892

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 24, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Higher Education

        AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the
          COVID-19 children scholarship

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  608-b
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  608-b.  COVID-19 children scholarships. 1. Notwithstanding subdivi-
     4  sion five of section six hundred sixty-one of this title, children whose
     5  parent, primary caretaker or sibling died or was disabled as a result of
     6  contracting COVID-19, shall be eligible to receive a scholarship  in  an
     7  annual  amount  determined  pursuant  to  subdivision two of section six
     8  hundred sixty-eight-h of this title.
     9    2. Awards under this section shall be payable for  each  of  not  more
    10  than  four  academic years of undergraduate study or five academic years
    11  if a program normally requires five years, as defined by the commission-
    12  er pursuant to this article.
    13    § 2. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  668-h  to
    14  read as follows:
    15    § 668-h. COVID-19 children scholarships. 1. Eligible groups.  Notwith-
    16  standing subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-one of this part,
    17  children whose parent, primary caretaker or sibling died or was disabled
    18  as  a  result  of  contracting  COVID-19, shall be eligible to receive a
    19  scholarship.
    20    2. Amount. (a) The president shall grant annual  scholarships  in  the
    21  following amounts:
    22    (1)  If the recipient attends an institution of the city university of
    23  New York or an institution of the state university  of  New  York  other
    24  than  the  statutory  colleges  at Cornell, the college of environmental
    25  science and forestry at Syracuse and the college of ceramics at  Alfred,

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09578-01-3
        A. 4892                             2

     1  the  annual  award  shall  be an amount equal to: the tuition charged at
     2  such institution provided that, notwithstanding any provision of law  to
     3  the  contrary,  the tuition charged to award recipients shall not exceed
     4  that  charged to state resident students attending such institution; the
     5  mandatory fees charged at such institution; and the non-tuition cost  of
     6  attendance at such institution or college, provided that the scholarship
     7  shall not exceed an amount that is equal to the total cost of attendance
     8  determined for federal Title IV student financial aid purposes, less all
     9  other  scholarships and grants provided by New York state, other states,
    10  the federal government, or other governments, and the amount  of  educa-
    11  tional benefits paid under any program that would duplicate the purposes
    12  of  this program, provided that any scholarships or grants provided to a
    13  recipient by the institution which are intended to fund any  portion  of
    14  the  difference  between  the annual state award and the actual costs of
    15  attendance at any such institution shall not be considered to  duplicate
    16  the purposes of this program; or
    17    (2)  If  the recipient attends any other two- or four-year institution
    18  within New York state, the annual award shall be based  upon  an  amount
    19  equal  to:  the  tuition  charged to state resident students attending a
    20  four-year college of the state  university  of  New  York;  the  average
    21  mandatory  fees charged at four-year colleges of the state university of
    22  New York, or the actual tuition  and  fees  charged  to  the  recipient,
    23  whichever  is  less;  and the average non-tuition cost of attendance, as
    24  determined by the president and as approved by the director of the budg-
    25  et, for a student at the state university of New York or actual non-tui-
    26  tion cost of attendance at such institution, whichever is less, provided
    27  that the scholarship shall be at least two thousand five hundred dollars
    28  per year, and provided that the scholarship shall not exceed  an  amount
    29  that  is  equal  to  the total cost of attendance determined for federal
    30  Title IV student financial aid purposes, less all other scholarships and
    31  grants provided by New York state, other states, the federal government,
    32  or other governments, and the amount of educational benefits paid  under
    33  any  program that would duplicate the purposes of this program, provided
    34  that any scholarships or grants provided to a recipient by the  institu-
    35  tion  which  are  intended to fund any portion of the difference between
    36  the annual state award and the actual costs of attendance  at  any  such
    37  institution  shall  not  be considered to duplicate the purposes of this
    38  program.
    39    (3) "Non-tuition cost of attendance", as  used  in  this  subdivision,
    40  shall  mean:  (i)  the actual amount charged by the institution for room
    41  and board, and (ii) an allowance for transportation, books and  supplies
    42  as  determined  by  the president and as approved by the director of the
    43  budget, provided that such determination shall be  made  no  later  than
    44  December  first of each year for use in the succeeding academic year. In
    45  the event a student does not incur room or board charges at the institu-
    46  tion, "non-tuition cost of attendance" shall mean an allowance for  room
    47  and board as determined by the president and approved by the director of
    48  the budget. In determining allowances pursuant to this subparagraph, the
    49  president may take into consideration the allowances provided for in the
    50  Pell grant program.
    51    (b)  In  no  event  shall the combination of all student financial aid
    52  received by a student exceed a recipient's total cost of  attendance  at
    53  the institution being attended.
    54    3.  Duration.  Awards  under this section shall be payable for each of
    55  not more than four academic years of undergraduate study or five academ-
        A. 4892                             3

     1  ic years if a program normally requires five years, as  defined  by  the
     2  commissioner pursuant to article thirteen of this title.
     3    §  3.  Section  604  of  the  education law is amended by adding a new
     4  subdivision 13 to read as follows:
     5    13. COVID-19 children scholarships.
     6    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.