Bill Text: NY S07791 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to tuition assistance program awards for dual or concurrent enrollment coursework; awards dual or concurrent enrollment program awards for payment annually to school districts in which dual or concurrent enrollment programs are located.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-20 - REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION [S07791 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S07791-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7791 IN SENATE February 20, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sens. MAYER, STAVISKY -- 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 tuition assistance program awards for dual or concurrent enrollment coursework 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 article 13-C 2 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 13-C 4 TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AWARDS FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT 5 COURSEWORK 6 Section 640. Tuition assistance program awards for dual or concurrent 7 enrollment coursework. 8 § 640. Tuition assistance program awards for dual or concurrent 9 enrollment coursework. 1. Legislative intent. The Legislature hereby 10 finds and declares it necessary to promote on time and early graduation 11 through supporting access to college-level courses and college degree 12 credits at the secondary level with innovative partnerships among 13 secondary and post-secondary schools, staff and resources. The Legisla- 14 ture also values early college high school programs, P-TECH programs, 15 and other dual or concurrent enrollment programs which not only increase 16 students' access to higher education, but also reduce potential costs 17 for students in completing college degrees by allowing them to either 18 complete a degree upon graduation from high school or to apply their 19 earned college credits toward a Baccalaureate degree. This legislation 20 provides incentives for high school students to proceed to college and 21 to earn a college degree by accelerating their overall completion of 22 such a degree. It also better prepares high school students for 23 college-level coursework, which will in turn, increase their academic 24 performance. Ultimately, dual or concurrent enrollment programs increase 25 graduation rates both at the high school and college levels. 26 The Legislature hereby finds and declares it necessary to provide 27 funding for dual or concurrent enrollment programs to ensure access to 28 high quality programming that continues to innovate and continues to EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13756-06-0S. 7791 2 1 grow through performance based results. Students will require less 2 tuition assistance funds (TAP) to complete their degree at the post-sec- 3 ondary level and potentially avoid new debt. 4 2. Establishment of dual or concurrent enrollment tuition assistance 5 program awards. Notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or law to the 6 contrary, the president is hereby authorized to award dual or concurrent 7 enrollment program awards for payment annually, beginning with the two 8 thousand twenty-one--two thousand twenty-two academic year and in each 9 academic year thereafter, through the department, to school districts in 10 which dual or concurrent enrollment programs are located, upon applica- 11 tion by such school districts, in such amounts as are authorized to be 12 paid by subdivision five of this section, and upon certification by the 13 higher education services corporation pursuant to subdivision one of 14 section six hundred sixty-nine-e of this title. 15 3. Definitions. For purposes of this section: 16 a. "dual or concurrent enrollment program" means a program of study 17 that provides post-secondary coursework outside of a post-secondary 18 setting for eligible students enrolled in programs with high school 19 courses leading to the granting of a high school diploma and college- 20 level credit leading to the granting of a post-secondary degree, diploma 21 or certificate at a post-secondary institution. Such dual or concurrent 22 enrollment program shall have a written agreement between the partic- 23 ipating high school and an institution of higher education located with- 24 in New York state outlining policies for the academic program including, 25 but not limited to, the type of degree and credits awarded. 26 b. "eligible student" means a student who: 27 (i) has graduated from a dual or concurrent enrollment program in the 28 two thousand twenty--two thousand twenty-one academic year or thereaft- 29 er; 30 (ii) is matriculated in an approved program leading to the granting of 31 a post-secondary degree at a post-secondary institution eligible to 32 participate in the tuition assistance program; 33 (iii) meets the eligibility criteria for a general award pursuant to 34 section six hundred sixty-one of this title; 35 (iv) is eligible for a tuition assistance program award pursuant to 36 section six hundred sixty-seven of this title; and 37 (v) has received degree granting credit from a post-secondary institu- 38 tion eligible to participate in the tuition assistance program for the 39 coursework undertaken in the approved dual or concurrent enrollment 40 program. 41 4. Part-time study. A student who otherwise satisfies the eligibility 42 requirements set forth in paragraph b of subdivision three of this 43 section and is enrolled at least half-time at a post-secondary institu- 44 tion eligible to participate in the tuition assistance program, shall 45 also be deemed an eligible student. 46 5. Amount. The commissioner shall make an award to the school district 47 in which the dual or concurrent enrollment program is located for each 48 eligible student in an amount certified by the president. 49 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 669-i to 50 read as follows: 51 § 669-i. Dual or concurrent enrollment award program. 1. Certif- 52 ication. For each student identified by the post-secondary institution, 53 which shall be eligible to participate in the tuition assistance 54 program, shall certify to the president: (i) whether such student is 55 eligible for a tuition assistance program award pursuant to section six 56 hundred sixty-seven of this subpart; (ii) whether such student meets theS. 7791 3 1 eligibility criteria for a general award pursuant to section six hundred 2 sixty-one of this part; (iii) whether such student satisfies the 3 requirement set forth in subdivision four of section six hundred forty 4 of this title; (iv) the number of degree granting credits such student 5 received from the post-secondary institution for the coursework under- 6 taken in the dual or concurrent enrollment program; and (v) such other 7 information as the commissioner and/or the president deem necessary to 8 administer the program. The president shall certify this information and 9 the amount of the award calculated in accordance with subdivision two of 10 this section to the commissioner. 11 2. Calculation of award amounts. The president shall be responsible 12 for calculating the dollar amount of each award in an amount equal to 13 the product of: the number of degree granting credits accepted by the 14 eligible student's post-secondary institution for coursework undertaken 15 in the dual or concurrent enrollment program for such eligible student 16 and the dollar amount established for one credit for such eligible 17 student. For an eligible student enrolled full-time at a post-secondary 18 institution eligible to participate in the tuition assistance program, 19 the dollar amount for one credit shall be established as the quotient 20 of: the eligible student's tuition assistance program award pursuant to 21 section six hundred sixty-seven of this subpart; and the minimum number 22 of credits required for full-time study as defined by the commissioner. 23 For an eligible student enrolled part-time at a post-secondary institu- 24 tion eligible to participate in the tuition assistance program, the 25 dollar amount for one credit shall be established as the quotient of: 26 the average tuition assistance program award paid to all part-time 27 tuition assistance program recipients, pursuant to section six hundred 28 sixty-six of this subpart, from the academic year two years prior to the 29 academic year in which the award is to be made; and the average number 30 of credits taken by such recipients. 31 3. Award disbursement. Annual award disbursements shall be the respon- 32 sibility of the commissioner through a joint agreement with the presi- 33 dent and shall be made directly to the school district in which the dual 34 or concurrent enrollment program is located using funds appropriated to 35 the tuition assistance program. 36 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that if this act 37 shall have become a law on or after July 1, 2020, it shall be deemed to 38 have been in full force and effect on and after July 1, 2020.