Bill Text: NY S05635 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides free SUNY and CUNY tuition, books, and fees to all current New York state and New York city employees who have been such employees for at least two years, and who continue such employment throughout their academic program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION [S05635 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-S05635-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5635 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 15, 2021 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing free SUNY and CUNY tuition to all New York state and New York city employees The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the educa- 2 tion law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 1-a to read as follows: 3 (1-a) The trustees shall implement a program to permit any student who 4 has been admitted to a state-operated institution of the state universi- 5 ty to attend without the payment of tuition, books, and fees if such 6 student is a current employee, and has been for at least two years, of 7 the state of New York or the city of New York. The provisions of this 8 subparagraph shall only apply to costs of one undergraduate and/or grad- 9 uate degree and any additional costs associated with more than one 10 simultaneous undergraduate or graduate degree shall not be covered by 11 this program. 12 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer 13 the program according to the following criteria: 14 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for 15 this program. 16 (B) The student shall be required to be a current employee of the 17 state or the city of New York for at least two years prior to making 18 such application and through the completion of his or her academic 19 program. 20 (C) Students shall be required to complete their degree program within 21 a minimum period of time to be set by the trustees which shall be no 22 fewer than three years and no more than five years. 23 (D) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point 24 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the 25 program. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10192-01-1S. 5635 2 1 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the 2 requirements set forth in clause (i) of this subparagraph, the trustees 3 shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition which 4 would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New York 5 state higher education services corporation, plus interest, according to 6 a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment may also 7 be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for information 8 necessary to determine continued eligibility or for administration of 9 the program. 10 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 11 subparagraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program 12 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be 13 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar- 14 agraph. 15 (iv) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous- 16 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges. 17 § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law is amended by 18 adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows: 19 (f) The trustees shall implement a program to permit any student who 20 has been admitted to an institution operated by the city university to 21 attend without the payment of tuition, books, and fees if such student 22 fulfills the requirements of such program pursuant to the provisions of 23 this paragraph. 24 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer 25 the program according to the following criteria: 26 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for 27 this program. 28 (B) The student shall be required to be a current employee of the 29 state of New York or the city of New York for at least two years prior 30 to making such application and through the completion of his or her 31 academic program. 32 (C) Students shall be required to complete their degree program within 33 a minimum period of time to be set by the trustees which shall be no 34 fewer than three years and no more than five years. 35 (D) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point 36 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the 37 program. 38 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the 39 requirements set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the trus- 40 tees shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition 41 which would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New 42 York state higher education services corporation, plus interest, accord- 43 ing to a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment 44 may also be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for 45 information necessary to determine continued eligibility or for adminis- 46 tration of the program. 47 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 48 paragraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program 49 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be 50 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar- 51 agraph. 52 (iv) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous- 53 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges. 54 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 55 have become a law.
