Senate Bill S9139

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Enacts "SUNY for all: the New York State higher education equality act" to provide free tuition to students who attend SUNY

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current 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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2023-S9139 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A8080
Current Committee:
Senate Higher Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§355, 667, 669-h & 6304, Ed L; add §97-aaaa, St Fin L

2023-S9139 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts "new deal for SUNY: the New York state higher education equality act" to provide free tuition to students who attend SUNY who are enrolled in academic coursework and are on track to graduate; establishes the state university tuition fund to reimburse the state university of New York for the cost of tuition for students who are eligible for free tuition.

2023-S9139 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S9139 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9139
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 30, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  WEBB  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation
   to providing free tuition to students who attend the state  university
   of New York
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "new  deal  for
 SUNY: the New York state higher education equality act".
   §  2. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education law
 is amended by adding a new subparagraph 1-a to read as follows:
   (1-A) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, RULE  OR  REGULATION
 TO  THE  CONTRARY,  THE TRUSTEES SHALL IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM TO PERMIT ANY
 STUDENT WHO HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO A  STATE-OPERATED  INSTITUTION  OF  THE
 STATE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW YORK TO ATTEND WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF TUITION
 AND FEES IF SUCH STUDENT  FULFILLS  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  SUCH  PROGRAM
 PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH.
   (I)  THE  TRUSTEES SHALL PROVIDE AN APPLICATION PROCESS AND ADMINISTER
 THE PROGRAM WHICH SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO ANY STUDENT ELIGIBLE  FOR  RESI-
 DENT  TUITION  RATES, WHO IS ENROLLED IN CREDIT-BEARING ACADEMIC COURSE-
 WORK AND IS ON TRACK TO GRADUATE.
   (II) ANY STUDENT NOT SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING  CREDIT-BEARING  ACADEMIC
 COURSEWORK  IN  A  SEMESTER SHALL STILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ALL OTHER
 GRANTS, AWARDS, AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WHICH THEY QUALIFY BUT SHALL NOT BE
 ELIGIBLE FOR THE TUITION AND STUDENT FEE WAIVER DESCRIBED HEREIN.
   (III) STUDENTS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A ONE  SEMESTER  EXEMPTION
 FROM  THE REQUIREMENT TO COMPLETE CREDIT-BEARING ACADEMIC COURSEWORK FOR
 SUCH TUITION WAIVER AS PROMULGATED BY THE TRUSTEES. SUCH EXEMPTION SHALL
 NOT PRECLUDE ANY STUDENT FROM EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO APPEAL  PURSUANT
 TO HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES CORPORATION POLICY.
   (IV) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO
 THE  CONTRARY  SUBJECT  TO  AMOUNTS  MADE  AVAILABLE  BY  APPROPRIATION,
 COMMENCING IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR NEXT SUCCEEDING THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF
 THIS  SUBDIVISION, AND EVERY ACADEMIC YEAR THEREAFTER, THE STATE UNIVER-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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