Sponsored by:
Senator ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Corrado and Stanfield
SYNOPSIS
Expands Community College Opportunity Grant Program to include career and technical education programs at county colleges and county vocational schools.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the Community College Opportunity Grant Program and amending P.L.2021, c.26.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-111) is amended to read as follows:
1. As used in this act:
Adult student means a postsecondary student who is enrolled in a career and technical education course or program offered by a county vocational school district established pursuant to article 3 of chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
"Annual adjusted gross income" means:
a. for a dependent student, the annual adjusted gross income of the student's parent or legal guardian, as reported on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid or other financial aid form; and
b. for an independent student, the annual adjusted gross income of the student and, if applicable, the spouse of the student, as reported on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid or other financial aid form.
"Approved educational fees" means general education fees, registration fees, facility fees, technology fees, laboratory fees, student service and activity fees, and program and course fees, including fees associated with [coursework in nursing, culinary, and other] career and technical education programs [as determined by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education], subject to the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the program.
"Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71A-3.
Career and technical education course or program means a postsecondary career, career-training, technical, or workforce development course or program that prepares a student to earn a license or industry-recognized certification or to take a nationally-recognized exam that is offered by any county college established pursuant to chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes or any county vocational school district established pursuant to article 3 of chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
County vocational school district means any entity established pursuant to article 3 of chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
"Out-of-county college" means a county college that is outside of a student's county of residence.
Out-of-county vocational school district means a county vocational school district that is outside of a students county of residence.
"Program" means the Community College Opportunity Grant Program created pursuant to section 2 of [this act] P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-112).
"Three plus one degree program" means a baccalaureate degree program created pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2018, c.144 (C.18A:3B-78).
(cf: P.L.2021, c.26, s.1)
2. Section 2 of P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-112) is amended to read as follows:
2. There is hereby created the Community College Opportunity Grant Program. The purpose of the program shall be to provide financial aid grants to eligible county college students and eligible county vocational school district adult students, to cover the costs of tuition and approved educational fees that are not already covered by any other State, federal, and institutional need-based grants or merit scholarships and to provide county colleges with Student Success Incentive funding for outreach and student success initiatives. The financial aid grants distributed to eligible students under the program shall be administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, while the Student Success Incentive funding distributed to county colleges under the program shall be administered by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.
(cf: P.L.2021, c.26, s.2)
3. Section 3 of P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-113) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. To be eligible to receive a financial aid grant under the Community College Opportunity Grant Program, a student shall:
(1) (a) if enrolled in a county college, be a legal resident of the State in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.18A:71B-2 or be eligible for student financial aid pursuant to P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1); or
(b) if enrolled in a county vocational school district, be a legal resident of the State in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.18A:71B-2 or P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1), except for any requirement under those provisions of law to be enrolled in an eligible institution of higher education;
(2) be enrolled in at least six credits at a county college established pursuant to chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes or be an adult student enrolled in a postsecondary career and technical education course or program of at least four months in duration at a county vocational school district;
(3) (a) be enrolled at the county college or county vocational school district that serves the student's county of residence; or
(b) be enrolled at an out-of-county college or out-of-county vocational school district, in which case the student, if otherwise eligible, shall receive a grant under the program to cover the remaining costs of tuition and approved educational fees, charged at the in-district rate for the county college at which the student is enrolled or the in-county rate of the county vocational school district at which the student is enrolled, provided that the amount of a grant provided to a student under this subparagraph does not exceed the amount of tuition and approved educational fees actually charged to the student;
(4) not have an annual adjusted gross income that is negative;
(5) have an annual adjusted gross income between $0 and $65,000, except that the authority, in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education [and], the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, and the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, may annually establish maximum annual adjusted gross income eligibility limits of no less than $65,000;
(6) have applied for all other available forms of State, federal, and institutional need-based grants and merit scholarships and, in accordance with annually established deadline dates, have completed and submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, other financial aid form, or, as applicable, a State financial aid form as required by the authority pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1);
(7) not owe a refund on