STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8941--A IN ASSEMBLY January 30, 2024 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BENEDETTO, WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit- tee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to tuition assistance program awards for dual or concurrent enrollment coursework The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new article 13-D 2 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 13-D 4 TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AWARDS FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT 5 COURSEWORK 6 Section 645. Tuition assistance program awards for dual or concurrent 7 enrollment coursework. 8 § 645. Tuition assistance program awards for dual or concurrent 9 enrollment coursework. 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby 10 finds and declares it necessary to promote on time and early graduation 11 through supporting access to college-level courses and college degree 12 credits at the secondary level with innovative partnerships among 13 secondary and post-secondary schools, staff and resources. The legisla- 14 ture also values early college high school programs, P-TECH programs, 15 and other dual or concurrent enrollment programs which not only increase 16 students' access to higher education, but also reduce potential costs 17 for students in completing college degrees by allowing them to either 18 complete a degree upon graduation from high school or to apply their 19 earned college credits toward a Baccalaureate degree. This legislation 20 provides incentives for high school students to proceed to college and 21 to earn a college degree by accelerating their overall completion of 22 such a degree. It also better prepares high school students for 23 college-level coursework, which will in turn, increase their academic 24 performance. Ultimately, dual or concurrent enrollment programs increase 25 graduation rates both at the high school and college levels. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10124-03-4
A. 8941--A 2 1 The legislature hereby finds and declares it necessary to provide 2 funding for dual or concurrent enrollment programs to ensure access to 3 high quality programming that continues to innovate and continues to 4 grow through performance based results. Students will require less 5 tuition assistance funds (TAP) to complete their degree at the post-sec- 6 ondary level and potentially avoid new debt. 7 2. Establishment of dual or concurrent enrollment tuition assistance 8 program awards. Notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or law to the 9 contrary, the president is hereby authorized to award dual or concurrent 10 enrollment program awards for payment annually, beginning with the two 11 thousand twenty-three--two thousand twenty-four academic year and in 12 each academic year thereafter, through the department, to school 13 districts in which dual or concurrent enrollment programs are located, 14 upon application by such school districts, and in such amounts as are 15 authorized to be paid by subdivision five of this section. 16 3. Definitions. For purposes of this section: 17 a. "dual or concurrent enrollment program" means a program of study 18 that provides post-secondary coursework outside of a post-secondary 19 setting for eligible students enrolled in programs with high school 20 courses leading to the granting of a high school diploma and college- 21 level credit leading to the granting of a post-secondary degree, diploma 22 or certificate at a post-secondary institution. Such dual or concurrent 23 enrollment program shall have a written agreement between the partic- 24 ipating high school and an institution of higher education located with- 25 in New York state outlining policies for the academic program including, 26 but not limited to, the type of degree and credits awarded. 27 b. "eligible student" means a student who: 28 (i) has graduated from a dual or concurrent enrollment program in the 29 two thousand twenty-two--two thousand twenty-three academic year or 30 thereafter; 31 (ii) is matriculated in an approved program leading to the granting of 32 a post-secondary degree at a post-secondary institution eligible to 33 participate in the tuition assistance program; 34 (iii) meets the eligibility criteria for a general award pursuant to 35 section six hundred sixty-one of this title; 36 (iv) is eligible for a tuition assistance program award pursuant to 37 section six hundred sixty-seven of this title; and 38 (v) has received degree granting credit from a post-secondary institu- 39 tion eligible to participate in the tuition assistance program for the 40 coursework undertaken in the approved dual or concurrent enrollment 41 program. 42 4. Part-time study. A student who otherwise satisfies the eligibility 43 requirements set forth in paragraph b of subdivision three of this 44 section and is enrolled at least half-time at a post-secondary institu- 45 tion eligible to participate in the tuition assistance program, shall 46 also be deemed an eligible student. 47 5. Amount. The commissioner shall make an award to the school district 48 in which the dual or concurrent enrollment program is located for each 49 eligible student in an amount certified by the president. 50 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 669-i to 51 read as follows: 52 § 669-i. Dual or concurrent enrollment award program. 1. Certif- 53 ication. For each student identified by the post-secondary institution, 54 which shall be eligible to participate in the tuition assistance 55 program, shall certify to the president: (i) whether such student is 56 eligible for a tuition assistance program award pursuant to section six
A. 8941--A 3 1 hundred sixty-seven of this subpart; (ii) whether such student meets the 2 eligibility criteria for a general award pursuant to section six hundred 3 sixty-one of this part; (iii) whether such student satisfies the 4 requirement set forth in subdivision four of section six hundred forty- 5 five of this title; (iv) the number of degree granting credits such 6 student received from the post-secondary institution for the coursework 7 undertaken in the dual or concurrent enrollment program; and (v) such 8 other information as the commissioner and/or the president deem neces- 9 sary to administer the program. The president shall certify this infor- 10 mation and the amount of the award calculated in accordance with subdi- 11 vision two of this section to the commissioner. 12 2. Calculation of award amounts. The president shall be responsible 13 for calculating the dollar amount of each award in an amount equal to 14 the product of: the number of degree granting credits accepted by the 15 eligible student's post-secondary institution for coursework undertaken 16 in the dual or concurrent enrollment program for such eligible student 17 and the dollar amount established for one credit for such eligible 18 student. For an eligible student enrolled full-time at a post-secondary 19 institution eligible to participate in the tuition assistance program, 20 the dollar amount for one credit shall be established as the quotient 21 of: the eligible student's tuition assistance program award pursuant to 22 section six hundred sixty-seven of this subpart; and the minimum number 23 of credits required for full-time study as defined by the commissioner. 24 For an eligible student enrolled part-time at a post-secondary institu- 25 tion eligible to participate in the tuition assistance program, the 26 dollar amount for one credit shall be established as the quotient of: 27 the average tuition assistance program award paid to all part-time 28 tuition assistance program recipients, pursuant to section six hundred 29 sixty-six of this subpart, from the academic year two years prior to the 30 academic year in which the award is to be made; and the average number 31 of credits taken by such recipients. 32 3. Award disbursement. Annual award disbursements shall be the respon- 33 sibility of the commissioner through a joint agreement with the presi- 34 dent and shall be made directly to the school district in which the dual 35 or concurrent enrollment program is located using funds appropriated to 36 the tuition assistance program. 37 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 38 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately the 39 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary 40 for implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to 41 be made and completed on or before such date.