§ 4210. Aid for blind or deaf students. 1. a. Whenever a blind or deaf
person, who is a citizen of this state and a student in actual
attendance at a college, university, technical or professional school,
including agriculture and technical institutes and state institutes of
applied arts and sciences, located in this state and authorized by law
to grant degrees, or licensed private career schools as defined in
article one hundred one of this title and located in this state, other
than an institution established for the regular instruction of the blind
or deaf, shall be designated by the trustees thereof as a fit person to
receive the aid hereinafter provided for, there shall be paid by the
state for the use of such student a sum not to exceed four thousand
dollars per annum, subject to terms and conditions prescribed by the
commissioner in regulations and within the limits of the appropriation
therefor, with which to provide such students with support to read,
including the employment of persons to read to such student and/or the
purchase of technology to assist the student in reading from text-books
and pamphlets in his or her studies at such college, university or
school, or to aid such student, in receiving instruction in such
studies.

b. The trustees of any institution meeting the requirements of this
section shall submit reports in such form and at such times as
prescribed by the commissioner identifying the number of students
eligible to receive aid pursuant to this subdivision and shall estimate
the funds needed to support such students as provided herein. The
commissioner shall advance twice during the school year to each such
institution such estimated amounts within the limits of the annual
appropriation provided therefore.

c. At the conclusion of the academic year for which such funds are
provided, each institution receiving funds pursuant to this subdivision
shall submit to the commissioner a final accounting for the use of such
funds and any additional reporting requirements prescribed by the
commissioner in regulations and shall return any unspent funds.

2. Such moneys shall be paid annually, after the beginning of the
school year of such institution, by the commissioner of taxation and
finance on the warrant of the comptroller, to the treasurer of such
institution, on his presenting an account showing the actual number of
blind or deaf students matriculated and attending the institution, which
account shall be verified by the president of the institution and
accompanied by his certificate that the trustees have recommended the
students named in said account as hereinbefore provided.

3. The trustees of any of the said institutions shall recommend no
blind or deaf person, who is not regularly matriculated, and who is not
in good and regular standing, and who is not working for a degree from
the institution in which he or she is matriculated; and no blind or deaf
person shall be recommended, who is not doing the work regularly
prescribed by the institution for the degree for which he or she is a
candidate. The moneys so paid to any such institution shall be disbursed
for the purposes aforesaid by and under the direction of its board of
trustees.

4. Funds appropriated in the two thousand seventeen--two thousand
eighteen academic year and thereafter for the purposes of this
initiative shall be allocated on a first-come, first serve basis based
on the order of applications received by the commissioner, in a
timeframe and manner prescribed by the commissioner in regulations.

5. Funds allocated pursuant to this section shall supplement not
supplant any aid provided and/or devices currently used by the college,
university, technical or professional school, including agriculture and
technical institutes and state institutes of applied arts and sciences
or licensed private career schools as defined in article one hundred one
of this title, for the purposes of this section.