§ 679-h. New York state child welfare worker incentive scholarship
program. 1. Purpose. The president shall grant scholarship awards for
the purpose of enhancing the proficiency of current child welfare
workers in New York state. Such awards shall be made on a competitive
basis to applicants who are currently employed at a voluntary
not-for-profit child welfare agency in New York state licensed by the
office of children and family services, or employed within such state
agency as a child welfare worker, with at least two years' experience
and are enrolling in an approved program to obtain a degree that will
enhance their ability to work in such agency.

2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this section,
applicants shall: a. be currently employed at a voluntary not-for-profit
child welfare agency in New York state licensed by the office of
children and family services, with at least two years of qualified
experience;

b. be matriculated in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at
an institution of higher education located within New York state in a
program of study that would enhance their ability to work in such agency
as determined by the president;

c. agree to work in a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare agency in
New York state licensed by the office of children and family services as
a child welfare worker on a full time basis for a period of no less than
five continuous years upon completion of such degree program within a
reasonable period of time and maintain residency in New York state for
such period of employment; and

d. comply with subdivisions three and five of section six hundred
sixty-one of this part.

3. Award conditions and requirements. a. Within amounts appropriated
therefore and based on availability of funds, scholarships shall be
granted beginning with the two thousand seventeen -- two thousand
eighteen academic year and thereafter on a competitive basis to
applicants whom the corporation has certified are eligible to receive
such awards; and who agree to work in a voluntary not-for-profit child
welfare agency in New York state licensed by the office of children and
family services as a child welfare worker on a full time basis for a
period of no less than five continuous years upon completion of such
degree within a reasonable period of time and maintain residency in New
York state for such period of employment.

b. An applicant must make every reasonable effort to obtain employment
in a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare agency in New York state
licensed by the office of children and family services as a child
welfare worker upon graduation.

4. Amount. The corporation shall grant such awards within the amounts
appropriated for such purpose and based on availability of funds
according to a schedule to be determined by the corporation in an
amount:

a. equal to the tuition charged to state resident students attending
an undergraduate or graduate degree program, as applicable, at the state
university of New York; the average mandatory fees charged at the state
university of New York, or the actual tuition and fees charged to the
recipient, whichever is less; and the average non-tuition cost of
attendance, as determined by the corporation and as approved by the
director of the budget, for a student at the state university of New
York or actual non-tuition cost of attendance at such institution,
whichever is less provided that the scholarship shall not exceed an
amount that is equal to the total cost of attendance determined for
federal Title IV student financial aid purposes, less all other
scholarships and grants provided by New York state, other states, the
federal government, or other governments, and the amount of educational
benefits paid under any program that would duplicate the purposes of
this program, provided that any scholarships or grants provided to a
recipient by the institution which are intended to fund any portion of
the difference between the annual state award and the actual costs of
attendance at any such institution shall not be considered to duplicate
the purposes of this program.

b. not to exceed twenty thousand dollars for a master's degree program
at a private institution; the average mandatory fees charged at the
private institution, or the actual tuition and fees charged to the
recipient, whichever is less; and the average non-tuition cost of
attendance, as determined by the corporation and as approved by the
director of the budget, for a student at such private institution or
actual non-tuition cost of attendance at such institution, whichever is
less, provided that the scholarship shall not exceed an amount that is
equal to the total cost of attendance determined for federal Title IV
student financial aid purposes, less all other scholarships and grants
provided by New York state, other states, the federal government, or
other governments, and the amount of educational benefits paid under any
program that would duplicate the purposes of this program, provided that
any scholarships or grants provided to a recipient by the institution
which are intended to fund any portion of the difference between the
annual state award and the actual costs of attendance at any such
institution shall not be considered to duplicate the purposes of this
program.

5. Other awards. Award recipients shall be eligible to apply for other
awards.

6. Duration. An award shall entitle the recipient to annual payments
for either an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree.
An eligible recipient enrolled in an eligible two year program of study
shall not receive an award for more than two academic years. An eligible
recipient enrolled in an eligible undergraduate program of study shall
not receive an award for more than four academic years of undergraduate
study or five academic years if the program of study normally requires
five years. An eligible recipient enrolled in a graduate program of
study shall not receive an award for more than two academic years.
Notwithstanding, such duration may be extended for an allowable
interruption of study as determined by the corporation.

7. Penalties for noncompliance. a. The corporation may collect the
full amount of the award given pursuant to this section, plus interest,
according to a schedule to be determined by the corporation, if: (i) the
recipient fails to complete their degree program within a reasonable
time as determined by the corporation; or (ii) one year after the
completion of the degree program it is found that a recipient did not
begin full-time employment at a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare
agency in New York state licensed by the office of children and family
services as a child welfare worker; or (iii) the recipient fails to
complete five continuous years of full-time employment at a voluntary
not-for-profit child welfare agency in the state licensed by the office
of children and family services as a child welfare worker or maintain
residency in New York state for such period of employment; or (iv) the
recipient fails to respond to requests by the corporation for the status
of his or her academic or professional progress. The terms and
conditions of this subdivision shall be deferred for any interruption in
an undergraduate or graduate study or employment as established by the
rules and regulations of the corporation. Any obligation to comply with
such provisions as outlined in this section shall be cancelled upon the
death of the recipient. Notwithstanding any provisions of this
subdivision to the contrary, the corporation is authorized to promulgate
rules and regulations necessary for the waiver of suspension of any
financial obligation which would involve extreme hardship.

8. Recipient selection. The president may establish:

a. an application deadline; and

b. a method of selecting recipients if in any given year there are
insufficient funds to cover the needs of all applicants and returning
recipients.

9. Rules and regulations. The corporation is authorized to promulgate
rules and regulations, and may promulgate emergency regulations,
necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this section
including, but not limited to, the criteria to distributing the awards,
which may include a lottery or other form of random selection, and the
rate of interest charges for repayment of the student loan.