NY State Senate Bill 2021-S6177

Senate Bill S6177

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Permits the commissioner of education to include graduate programs as programs eligible for approval under the state tuition assistance program

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to higher education
Apr 13, 2021	referred to higher education

2021-S6177 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6917
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§663 & 667, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S7249, A9555
2015-2016: S2129, A3051
2017-2018: S5261, A5326
2019-2020: S3858, A5912
2023-2024: S4752, A5161

2021-S6177 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Permits the commissioner of education to include graduate programs as programs eligible for approval under the state tuition assistance program.

2021-S6177 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6177

SPONSOR: LANZA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to tuition assistance
program awards

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill will include graduate programs as eligible for approval under
the state tuition assistance program, making a restoration to the
program eliminated in 2010.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends Section 663 subdivision 3 paragraph a of the education
law, as amended by Chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, Section 4 part J.

Section 2 amends Section 663 subdivision 3 paragraph b sub-paragraph l's
opening paragraph of the education law, as amended by Chapter 58 of the

laws of 2011, section 5 part J.

Section 3 amends section 663 subdivision 3 paragraph d of the education
law, as amended by Chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, section 6 part J.

Section 4 amends section 667 subdivisions 1 and 2 of the education law,
as amended by Chapter 622 of the laws of 2008 subdivision 1, and Chapter
58 of the laws of 2011, subdivision 2 section one part J.

Section 5 gives the effective date

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2010, the state legislature eliminated the tuition assistance program
for all graduate degree programs. As a result, New York State's graduate
students no longer are eligible or have access to the State's Tuition
Assistance Program (TAP), making it increasingly difficult for students
to further their education and obtain a graduate degree.

Many jobs which formerly required only a bachelor's degree are now call-
ing for a master's degree or higher. For many in this situation, the
cost of graduate school is simply too expensive for them to earn a high-
er degree, even while working and attending school part-time.

This bill would provide these students with access to tuition assistance
needed to afford graduate school and make them more competitive in
today's job market.

This bill will also lead to a more educated New York and will fill job
openings in this state with capable New Yorkers.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2020: S.3858 - Referred to Higher Education /A.5912 - Held for Consider-
ation in Higher Education

2019: S.3858 - Referred to Higher Education /A.5912 - Referred to Higher
Education
2018: S.5261 - Referred to Higher Education/A.5326 - Referred to Higher
Education

2017: S.5261 - Referred to Higher Education/A.5326 - Referred to Higher
Education

2016: S.2129 Education-Referred to Higher Education/A.3051 - Referred to
Education

2015: S.2129 Education- Referred to Higher Education/A.3051 - Referred
to Higher Education

2014: S.7249 Education -Referred to Higher Education/A.9555 - Referred
to Higher

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Approximately $2 to $3 million annually.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S6177 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6177
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 13, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- 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
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 663 of  the  educa-
 tion law, as amended by section 4 of part J of chapter 58 of the laws of
 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  In determining the amount of an award for GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADU-
 ATE students, the income of the parents shall be excluded if the student
 has been emancipated from his parents.
   § 2. The opening paragraph of subparagraph 1 of paragraph b of  subdi-
 vision 3 of section 663 of the education law, as amended by section 5 of
 part J of chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   The applicant is a student who was married on or before December thir-
 ty-first  of  the  calendar  year prior to the beginning of the academic
 year for which application is made or is an  undergraduate  student  who
 has  reached  the age of twenty-two on or before June thirtieth prior to
 the academic year for which application is made OR IS A GRADUATE STUDENT
 and who, during the calendar year next preceding the  semester,  quarter
 or  term  of  attendance  for which application is made and at all times
 subsequent thereto up to and  including  the  entire  period  for  which
 application is made:
   § 3. Paragraph d of subdivision 3 of section 663 of the education law,
 as  amended by section 6 of part J of chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, is
 amended to read as follows:
   d. Any GRADUATE OR undergraduate student who was  allowed  to  exclude
 parental  income  pursuant to the provisions of FORMER subdivision three
 of section six hundred three of this chapter as they  existed  prior  to

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06986-01-1

 S. 6177                             2
 
 July  first,  nineteen hundred seventy-four may continue to exclude such
 income for so long as he continues to comply with such provisions.
   §  4. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 667 of the education law, subdi-
 vision 1 as amended by chapter 622 of the laws of 2008 and subdivision 2
 as amended by chapter 376 of the laws of 2019, are amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  Recipient  qualifications.  Tuition  assistance program awards are
 available for all students who are enrolled in approved programs and who
 demonstrate the ability to complete such  courses,  in  accordance  with
 standards  established  by  the  commissioner provided, however, that no
 award shall be made unless tuition (exclusive of educational fees)  and,
 if  applicable,  the  college  fee levied by the state university of New
 York pursuant to the April first, nineteen hundred sixty-four  financing
 agreements  with  the New York state dormitory authority charged for the
 program in which the student is enrolled  total  at  least  two  hundred
 dollars  a  year,  and  provided  further  that, no award can exceed one
 hundred percent of the amount of  tuition  charged.    NOTHING  IN  THIS
 SECTION,  SECTION  SIX  HUNDRED  SIXTY-ONE  OF  THIS  PART, OR ANY OTHER
 PROVISION OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE READ TO EXCLUDE ANY GRADUATE  PROGRAM
 FROM  CLASSIFICATION  BY THE COMMISSIONER AS AN APPROVED PROGRAM FOR THE
 PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION.
   2. Duration. No undergraduate shall be eligible  for  more  than  four
 academic  years of study, or five academic years if the program of study
 normally requires five years. Students enrolled in a program of remedial
 study, approved by the commissioner in an institution of  higher  educa-
 tion and intended to culminate in a degree in undergraduate study shall,
 for  purposes of this section, be considered as enrolled in a program of
 study normally requiring five years. An undergraduate  student  enrolled
 in  an  eligible  two year program of study approved by the commissioner
 shall be eligible for no more than three academic  years  of  study.  An
 undergraduate  student  enrolled in an approved two or four-year program
 of study approved by the  commissioner  who  must  transfer  to  another
 institution  as  a result of permanent college closure shall be eligible
 for up to two additional semesters, or their equivalent, to  the  extent
 credits  necessary  to  complete his or her program of study were deemed
 non-transferable from the closed institution or were deemed not applica-
 ble to such student's program of study by the new institution.  NO GRAD-
 UATE STUDENT SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR MORE  THAN  FOUR  ACADEMIC  YEARS  OF
 STUDY  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT NO GRADUATE STUDENT SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR
 MORE THAN ONE DEGREE PROGRAM AT  THE  MASTER'S,  FIRST  PROFESSIONAL  OR
 DOCTORATE  LEVEL.  NO STUDENT SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A TOTAL OF MORE THAN
 THE EQUIVALENT OF EIGHT YEARS OF  COMBINED  UNDERGRADUATE  AND  GRADUATE
 STUDY.  Any  semester,  quarter,  or  term  of attendance during which a
 student receives any award under this article, after the effective  date
 of the former scholar incentive program and prior to academic year nine-
 teen  hundred  eighty-nine--nineteen  hundred  ninety,  shall be counted
 toward the maximum term of eligibility for tuition assistance under this
 section, except that any semester, quarter or term of attendance  during
 which  a  student  received  an  award  pursuant  to section six hundred
 sixty-six of this subpart shall be counted as one-half  of  a  semester,
 quarter  or  term, as the case may be, toward the maximum term of eligi-
 bility under this section. Any semester, quarter or term  of  attendance
 during which a student received an award pursuant to section six hundred
 sixty-seven-a  of  this  subpart shall not be counted toward the maximum
 term of eligibility under this section.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

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