S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1385
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 11, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BROOKS -- 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 the part-time  tuition
   assistance program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 667-c of the education law, as added by  section  1
 of  part  N  of  chapter  58  of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as
 follows:
   § 667-c. Part-time tuition assistance program  awards.    1.  Notwith-
 standing  any  law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the president of
 the higher education services corporation is authorized to make  tuition
 assistance program awards to [part-time] students [enrolled at the state
 university,  a community college, the city university of New York, and a
 non-profit college or university incorporated by the regents or  by  the
 legislature  who  meet  all  requirements for tuition assistance program
 awards except for the students' part-time attendance] WHO ATTEND  A  NEW
 YORK  STATE  PUBLIC  INSTITUTION  OF  HIGHER  EDUCATION  OR A NON-PROFIT
 COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY INCORPORATED BY THE REGENTS OR BY THE  LEGISLATURE
 ON A PART-TIME BASIS.
   2. [For purposes of this section, a part-time student is one who:
   a.  enrolled as a first-time freshman during the two thousand six--two
 thousand seven academic year or thereafter at a  college  or  university
 within  the state university, including a statutory or contract college,
 a community college established pursuant to article one hundred  twenty-
 six  of  this  chapter, the city university of New York, or a non-profit
 college or university incorporated by the regents or by the legislature;
   b. has earned at least twelve  credits  in  each  of  two  consecutive
 semesters at one of the institutions named in paragraph a of this subdi-
 vision by the time of the awards;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02234-02-1
              

 S. 1385                             2

   c.  is  enrolled for at least six but less than twelve semester hours,
 or the equivalent, per semester  in  an  approved  undergraduate  degree
 program; and
   d. has a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00] TO BE ELIGI-
 BLE, AN APPLICANT MUST MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS OF SUBDIVISIONS THREE AND
 FIVE  OF  SECTION  SIX HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE OF THIS ARTICLE, ENROLLED IN AT
 LEAST SIX BUT LESS THAN TWELVE CREDIT HOURS AT A NEW YORK  STATE  PUBLIC
 INSTITUTION  OF  HIGHER  LEARNING  OR A NON-PROFIT COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
 INCORPORATED BY THE REGENTS OR BY THE LEGISLATURE IN  THE  TWO  THOUSAND
 TWENTY-ONE--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-TWO  ACADEMIC YEAR, OR THEREAFTER, AND
 MAINTAIN A GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF AT LEAST 2.0.
   3. a. For part-time students defined in this section, the award  shall
 be  calculated  as  provided  in section six hundred sixty-seven of this
 article and shall be in an amount equal to the enrollment factor percent
 of the award the student would have been eligible  for  if  the  student
 were enrolled full-time. The enrollment factor percent is the percentage
 obtained  by  dividing the number of credits the student is enrolled in,
 as certified by the school, by the number of credits required for  full-
 time  study  in  the semester, quarter or term as defined by the commis-
 sioner.
   b. Any semester, quarter or term of attendance during which a  student
 receives  an  award  pursuant  to  this  section shall be counted as the
 enrollment factor percent of a semester,  quarter  or  term  toward  the
 maximum  term  of  eligibility for tuition assistance awards pursuant to
 section six hundred sixty-seven of this article. [The  total  period  of
 study  for  which payment may be made shall not exceed the equivalent of
 the maximum period authorized for that award.]
   C. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FUNDS AWARDED SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT
 AVAILABLE TO THE TRADITIONAL FULL-TIME STUDENT.
   4. PART-TIME STUDENTS DEFINED IN THIS SECTION WILL CREATE,  IN  AGREE-
 MENT  WITH  THE  COLLEGE  OR  UNIVERSITY, AN EDUCATION PLAN ALLOWING THE
 STUDENT TO COMPLETE HIS OR HER ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE PROGRAM IN AS MUCH  AS
 FOUR  AND  ONE-HALF  YEARS OR HIS OR HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE PROGRAM IN AS
 MUCH AS NINE YEARS. THE EDUCATION PLAN WILL ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE REQUIR-
 ING THE STUDENT TO CARRY A MINIMUM OF SIX CREDITS EACH  SEMESTER  AND  A
 MINIMUM  OF  TWELVE  CREDITS EACH YEAR. THE STUDENT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO
 MAINTAIN CONTINUED ATTENDANCE (EXCLUDING SUMMER SESSIONS) FOR THE PERIOD
 OF THE AGREEMENT. THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY IS  AUTHORIZED  TO  GRANT  A
 LEAVE  PERIOD  FOR  THE  DURATION OF A SEMESTER OR ITS EQUIVALENT AT ITS
 DISCRETION IN THE EVENT OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS,  FAMILY  RESPONSIBILITIES
 OR FINANCIAL EMERGENCIES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.