BILL NUMBER: S1220
SPONSOR: COMRIE
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to allowing the higher
education services corporation to consider an applicant's change in
income due to the loss of employment in determining eligibility and
award amount for the tuition assistance program; and to provide for the
repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
THIS BILL WOULD ALLOW HESC TO CONSIDER A TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
APPLICANT'S MORE RECENT INCOME IN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO ELIGIBILITY AND
AWARD AMOUNTS IF THE APPLICANT'S CHANGE IN INCOME IS DUE TO LOSS OF
EMPLOYMENT.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends section 663 of education law as it
relates to allowing the higher education services corporation to consid-
er an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment
in_determining eligibility and award amount for the tuition assistance_
program.
Section two of the bill relates to the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The COVID-19 pandemic caused historic levels of unemployment and job
loss. As prospective students and their families begin to apply for
financial aid through the tuition assistance program (TAP) for the
upcoming school year, they may be impacted by the method in which the
Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) calculates eligibility and
award amounts. HESC uses an applicant's income from two years prior to
the school year; meaning that those who apply for the upcoming school
year will use their 2019 tax returns to determine eligibility. If an
applicant had become unemployed in 2020 due to the pandemic, their loss
of income would not be recognized until 2022. This bill will allow for
applicants to apply for change in income circumstance and use the year
prior's 2020 tax return to determine eligibility and award amount.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S7458- 2022
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed December 31, 2024.