Bill Text: NY A08501 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the New York state masters-in-mental health incentive scholarship program for qualified persons at a New York state public institution of higher education who seeks a career as a mental health clinician; requires such person to enroll in full-time study in an approved master's degree for mental health practitioners program at a New York state public institution of higher education or private not-for-profit college or university in this state which leads to licensure as a mental health counselor, family therapist, creative arts therapist, psychoanalyst, or applied behavioral analyst; requires the execution of a service contract agreeing to be employed for four years by a non-profit organization licensed, funded or designated by the office of mental health, the office of addiction support and services, or the office for persons with developmental disabilities; makes related provisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to higher education [A08501 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A08501-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8501 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY December 3, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. FAHY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the New York state masters-in-mental health incentive scholarship program 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 669-i 2 to read as follows: 3 § 669-i. New York state masters-in-mental health incentive scholarship 4 program. 1. Students who are matriculated in an approved master's degree 5 in mental health program at a New York state public institution of high- 6 er education leading to a career as a mental health clinician shall be 7 eligible for an award under this section, provided the applicant: (a) 8 was a New York state resident for twelve continuous months prior to the 9 beginning of the term; (b) is a United States citizen; is an eligible 10 non-citizen; or is eligible to apply for citizenship within twelve 11 months; (c) achieved academic excellence as an undergraduate student 12 from a college or university located in this state with a 3.0 grade 13 point average or higher upon completion of such undergraduate study; (d) 14 enrolls in full-time study in an approved master's degree for mental 15 health practitioners program at a New York state public institution of 16 higher education or private not-for-profit college or university in 17 this state which leads to licensure as a mental health counselor, family 18 therapist, creative arts therapist, psychoanalyst, or applied behavioral 19 analyst; be enrolled in such program on a full-time basis; (e) executes 20 a service contract agreeing to be employed for four years by a non-pro- 21 fit organization licensed, funded or designated by the office of mental 22 health, the office of addiction services and supports, or the office for 23 persons with developmental disabilities; (f) be in a non-default status 24 on a student loan made under any New York state or federal education 25 loan program or repayment of any New York state award; (g) earn a cumu- 26 lative grade point average of 3.0 or higher each term of graduate study; 27 and (h) complies with the applicable provisions of this article and all EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13180-01-1A. 8501 2 1 requirements promulgated by the corporation for the administration of 2 the program. 3 2. Within amounts appropriated therefor, awards shall be granted to 4 applicants that the corporation has certified are eligible to receive 5 such awards. Up to five hundred awards may be granted to new recipients 6 annually. Such awards shall be granted upon successful completion of 7 each term, as defined by the corporation. 8 3. An award shall entitle the recipient to annual payments for not 9 more than two academic years of full-time graduate study leading to 10 certification as a mental health clinician. 11 4. The corporation shall grant such awards in an amount equal to the 12 annual tuition charged to state resident students attending a graduate 13 program full-time at the state university of New York, or actual tuition 14 charged, whichever is less; provided, however, (a) a student who 15 receives educational grants and/or scholarships that cover the student's 16 full cost of attendance shall not be eligible for an award under this 17 program; (b) for a student who receives educational grants and/or schol- 18 arships that cover less than the student's full cost of attendance, such 19 grants and/or scholarships shall not be deemed duplicative of this 20 program and may be held concurrently with an award under this program, 21 provided that the combined benefits do not exceed the student's full 22 cost of attendance; and (c) an award under this program shall be applied 23 to tuition after the application of all other educational grants and 24 scholarships limited to tuition and shall be reduced in an amount equal 25 to such educational grants and/or scholarships. Upon notification of an 26 award under this program, the institution shall defer the amount of 27 tuition equal to the award. No award shall be final until the recipi- 28 ent's successful completion of a term has been certified by the institu- 29 tion. 30 5. The corporation shall convert to a student loan the full amount of 31 the award granted pursuant to this section, plus interest, according to 32 a schedule to be determined by the corporation if: (a) two years after 33 the completion of the degree program and receipt of initial certif- 34 ication it is found that a recipient is not employed for four years by 35 a not-for-profit organization licensed, funded or designated by the 36 office of mental health, the office of addiction services and supports, 37 or the office for persons with disabilities; (b) a recipient fails to 38 complete his or her graduate degree program in mental health; (c) a 39 recipient fails to receive or maintain his or her license in New York 40 state for the required period; or (d) a recipient fails to respond to 41 requests by the corporation for the status of his or her academic or 42 professional progress. The terms and conditions of this subdivision 43 shall be deferred for any interruption in graduate study or employment 44 as established by the rules and regulations of the corporation. Any 45 obligation to comply with such provisions as outlined in this section 46 shall be cancelled upon the death of the recipient. Notwithstanding any 47 provisions of this subdivision to the contrary, the corporation is 48 authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to provide for the waiver 49 or suspension of any financial obligation which would involve extreme 50 hardship. 51 6. The corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations, 52 and may promulgate emergency regulations, necessary for the implementa- 53 tion of the provisions of this section including, but not limited to, 54 the criteria for the provision of awards on a competitive basis, and the 55 rate of interest charged for repayment of the student loan. 56 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
