Bill Text: NY S07615 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Relates to freezing tuition costs at state and city universities for four years; increases TAP awards by $400 each year for four years; and requires a report examining the affordability of such public institutions and potential funding for eliminating the gap between public funding and actual tuition and costs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-19 - PRINT NUMBER 7615A [S07615 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S07615-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7615--A IN SENATE January 31, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sens. THOMAS, BROOKS, COMRIE, PARKER, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to tuition costs at state and city universities and increasing tuition assistance program awards; and to require a report examining the affordability of such public institutions The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The opening paragraph of paragraph h of subdivision 2 of 2 section 355 of the education law, as separately amended by chapters 552 3 and 616 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as follows: 4 To regulate the admission of students, prescribe the qualifications 5 for their continued attendance, regulate tuition charges where no 6 provision is otherwise made therefor by law, and regulate other fees and 7 charges, curricula and all other matters pertaining to the operation and 8 administration of each state-operated institution in the state universi- 9 ty; provided, however, that the trustees shall not have the power to 10 increase tuition, fees or other charges commencing with the two thousand 11 twenty--two thousand twenty-one academic year and ending in the two 12 thousand twenty-four--two thousand twenty-five academic year. 13 § 2. Clause (ii) of subparagraph 4 of paragraph h of subdivision 2 of 14 section 355 of the education law, as amended by section 1 of part JJJ of 15 chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows: 16 (ii) Commencing with the two thousand seventeen--two thousand eighteen 17 academic year and ending in the [two thousand twenty--two thousand twen-18ty-one] two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty academic year the 19 state university of New York board of trustees shall be empowered to 20 increase the resident undergraduate rate of tuition by not more than two 21 hundred dollars over the resident undergraduate rate of tuition adopted 22 by the board of trustees in the prior academic year, provided, however 23 that if the annual resident undergraduate rate of tuition would exceed 24 five thousand dollars, then a tuition credit for each eligible student, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD15001-03-0S. 7615--A 2 1 as determined and calculated by the New York state higher education 2 services corporation pursuant to section six hundred eighty-nine-a of 3 this title, shall be applied toward the tuition charged for each semes- 4 ter, quarter or term of study. Tuition for each semester, quarter or 5 term of study shall not be due for any student eligible to receive such 6 tuition credit until the tuition credit is calculated and applied 7 against the tuition charged for the corresponding semester, quarter or 8 term. Provided, further that the revenue resulting from an increase in 9 the rate of tuition shall be allocated to each campus pursuant to a plan 10 approved by the board of trustees to support investments in new class- 11 room faculty, instruction, initiatives to improve student success and 12 on-time completion and a tuition credit for each eligible student. 13 § 3. The opening paragraph of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of 14 section 6206 of the education law, as amended by section 2 of part JJJ 15 of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows: 16 The board of trustees shall establish positions, departments, divi- 17 sions and faculties; appoint and in accordance with the provisions of 18 law fix salaries of instructional and non-instructional employees there- 19 in; establish and conduct courses and curricula; prescribe conditions of 20 student admission, attendance and discharge; and shall have the power to 21 determine in its discretion whether tuition shall be charged and to 22 regulate tuition charges, and other instructional and non-instructional 23 fees and other fees and charges at the educational units of the city 24 university; provided, however, that the trustees shall not have the 25 power to increase tuition, fees or other charges commencing with the two 26 thousand twenty--two thousand twenty-one academic year and ending in the 27 two thousand twenty-four--two thousand twenty-five academic year. The 28 trustees shall review any proposed community college tuition increase 29 and the justification for such increase. The justification provided by 30 the community college for such increase shall include a detailed analy- 31 sis of ongoing operating costs, capital, debt service expenditures, and 32 all revenues. The trustees shall not impose a differential tuition 33 charge based upon need or income. All students enrolled in programs 34 leading to like degrees at the senior colleges shall be charged a 35 uniform rate of tuition, except for differential tuition rates based on 36 state residency. Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, 37 the trustees may authorize the setting of a separate category of tuition 38 rate, that shall be greater than the tuition rate for resident students 39 and less than the tuition rate for non-resident students, only for 40 students enrolled in distance learning courses who are not residents of 41 the state; provided, however, that: 42 § 4. The opening paragraph of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of 43 section 6206 of the education law, as amended by section 4 of chapter 44 437 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows: 45 The board of trustees shall establish positions, departments, divi- 46 sions and faculties; appoint and in accordance with the provisions of 47 law fix salaries of instructional and non-instructional employees there- 48 in; establish and conduct courses and curricula; prescribe conditions of 49 student admission, attendance and discharge; and shall have the power to 50 determine in its discretion whether tuition shall be charged and to 51 regulate tuition charges, and other instructional and non-instructional 52 fees and other fees and charges at the educational units of the city 53 university; provided, however, that the trustees shall not have the 54 power to increase tuition, fees or other charges commencing with the two 55 thousand twenty--two thousand twenty-one academic year and ending in the 56 two thousand twenty-four--two thousand twenty-five academic year. TheS. 7615--A 3 1 trustees shall review any proposed community college tuition increase 2 and the justification for such increase. The justification provided by 3 the community college for such increase shall include a detailed analy- 4 sis of ongoing operating costs, capital, debt service expenditures, and 5 all revenues. The trustees shall not impose a differential tuition 6 charge based upon need or income. All students enrolled in programs 7 leading to like degrees at the senior colleges shall be charged a 8 uniform rate of tuition, except for differential tuition rates based on 9 state residency. Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, 10 the trustees may authorize the setting of a separate category of tuition 11 rate, that shall be greater than the tuition rate for resident students 12 and less than the tuition rate for non-resident students, only for 13 students enrolled in distance learning courses who are not residents of 14 the state. The trustees shall further provide that the payment of 15 tuition and fees by any student who is not a resident of New York state, 16 other than a non-immigrant alien within the meaning of paragraph (15) of 17 subsection (a) of section 1101 of title 8 of the United States Code, 18 shall be paid at a rate or charge no greater than that imposed for 19 students who are residents of the state if such student: 20 § 5. Subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of section 21 6206 of the education law, as amended by section 2 of part JJJ of chap- 22 ter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows: 23 (ii) Commencing with the two thousand seventeen--two thousand eighteen 24 academic year and ending in the [two thousand twenty--two thousand twen-25ty-one] two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty academic year the 26 city university of New York board of trustees shall be empowered to 27 increase the resident undergraduate rate of tuition by not more than two 28 hundred dollars over the resident undergraduate rate of tuition adopted 29 by the board of trustees in the prior academic year, provided however 30 that if the annual resident undergraduate rate of tuition would exceed 31 five thousand dollars, then a tuition credit for each eligible student, 32 as determined and calculated by the New York state higher education 33 services corporation pursuant to section six hundred eighty-nine-a of 34 this title, shall be applied toward the tuition charged for each semes- 35 ter, quarter or term of study. Tuition for each semester, quarter or 36 term of study shall not be due for any student eligible to receive such 37 tuition credit until the tuition credit is calculated and applied 38 against the tuition charged for the corresponding semester, quarter or 39 term. Provided, further that the revenue resulting from an increase in 40 the rate of tuition shall be allocated to each campus pursuant to a plan 41 approved by the board of trustees to support investments in new class- 42 room faculty, instruction, initiatives to improve student success and 43 on-time completion and a tuition credit for each eligible student. 44 § 6. The boards of trustees of the state university of New York and 45 the city university of New York shall study, or cause to be studied, the 46 growing difference between the state's tuition assistance program fund- 47 ing for students and actual tuition, fees and administrative costs at 48 the state's and city's public universities. Such report shall investi- 49 gate and propose funding sources for eliminating the gap between full 50 funding and actual costs. In conducting such study the boards shall 51 solicit input from representatives of student government organizations 52 from among the state and city universities. Such report shall be submit- 53 ted to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the 54 speaker of the assembly within one year of the effective date of this 55 act.S. 7615--A 4 1 § 7. Subitem (c) of item 1 of clause (A) of subparagraph (i) of para- 2 graph a of subdivision 3 of section 667 of the education law, as amended 3 by section 1 of part U of chapter 56 of the laws of 2014, is amended to 4 read as follows: 5 (c) For students first receiving aid in two thousand--two thousand one 6 and thereafter, five thousand dollars, except starting in two thousand 7 [fourteen-two] fourteen--two thousand fifteen and [thereafter] before 8 two thousand twenty such students shall receive five thousand one 9 hundred sixty-five dollars, beginning in two thousand twenty--two thou- 10 sand twenty-one such students shall receive five thousand five hundred 11 sixty-five dollars, beginning in two thousand twenty-one--two thousand 12 twenty-two such students shall receive five thousand nine hundred 13 sixty-five dollars, beginning in two thousand twenty-two--two thousand 14 twenty-three such students shall receive six thousand three hundred 15 sixty-five dollars, beginning in two thousand twenty-three--two thousand 16 twenty-four such students shall receive six thousand seven hundred 17 sixty-five dollars, beginning in two thousand twenty-four--two thousand 18 twenty-five and thereafter such students shall receive seven thousand 19 one hundred sixty-five dollars; or 20 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that: (a) the 21 amendments to clause (ii) of subparagraph 4 of paragraph h of subdivi- 22 sion 2 of section 355 of the education law made by section two of this 23 act shall not affect the expiration and reversion of such subparagraph 24 and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith; (b) the amendments to 25 the opening paragraph of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of section 6206 26 of the education law made by section three of this act shall not affect 27 the expiration and reversion of such paragraph pursuant to section 16 of 28 chapter 260 of the laws of 2011, as amended, when upon such date the 29 provisions of section four of this act shall take effect; (c) and the 30 amendments to subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of 31 section 6206 of the education law made by section five of this act shall 32 not affect the expiration of such paragraph and shall expire and be 33 deemed repealed therewith.
