§ 352-a. Maritime college; admissions program. 1. There shall be
created an admissions program for the state university of New York
maritime college as established pursuant to section three hundred
fifty-two of this article in which certain elected officials shall
nominate students for placement in such college's regimental/cadet
degree system.

2. (a) Maritime college shall have a total of two hundred eighty-four
vacancy positions set aside for applicants who are nominated by the
governor, a state senator or a member of the assembly. Such vacancy
nominations shall increase or decrease based upon the number of senate
districts authorized pursuant to article three of the New York state
constitution. An applicant who receives such a nomination, is accepted
for admission into the college and participates in the regimental
program shall receive a scholarship equal to the amount of the state
tuition charge after the deduction of any available grant aid for the
four consecutive years following his or her admission into the program
provided, however, that the student remains in the regimental/cadet
degree program and remains at all times in good academic standing as
determined by the maritime college administration. In no event shall a
student lose his or her scholarship based upon legislative
reapportionment or changes in legislative composition or membership.
Nothing herein shall be construed to limit or reduce the number of
vacancies available to the general population.

(b) To be eligible to receive such nomination and scholarship, the
applicant must be a resident of the state. For purposes of this section,
a state resident shall be defined as a person who has resided in the
state of New York for a period of at least one year prior to the time of
nomination, is a graduate or within one year of graduation from an
approved high school or has attained a New York state high school
equivalency diploma or its equivalent as determined by the commissioner.

3. The vacancy nominations shall be distributed as follows: five for
the governor, five for the majority leader of the senate, five for the
speaker of the assembly, two for each state senator other than the
majority leader of the senate and one for each member of the assembly
other than the speaker of the assembly. The governor and each member of
the legislature shall provide one principal and three alternative
nominations for consideration for admission. Final admission decisions
shall remain with the college and within administrative procedures and
criteria.

4. The state university of New York shall provide annually by the
first day of July and upon request of the chairperson of the senate
higher education committee or the chairperson of the assembly higher
education committee a report detailing the total vacancies filled, the
total vacancies expected for the upcoming academic year, what vacancies
each elected official is expected to have pursuant to the provisions of
subdivision three of this section and a summary of the previous year's
total student enrollment and participation in the program.

5. The scholarships authorized by this section shall be made available
so long as funds are made available for such purposes.

6. Any individual receiving a scholarship pursuant to this section
shall apply for all other available state, federal, or other educational
grant aid at the time of enrollment. Any grant aid or financial
assistance received shall be utilized to offset the cost of tuition and
the "Summer Sea Term" to the maximum extent possible, except that
nothing shall require that aid or assistance received which may be used
towards costs other than that of tuition shall be applied toward the
cost of tuition.

7. The state university of New York is hereby authorized to promulgate
any rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the
provisions of this section.