STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3139 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 23, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. COONEY, FERNANDEZ, HELMING, MATTERA, OBERACKER, RHOADS, ROLISON, TEDISCO, WEBB, WEBER -- read twice and ordered print- ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Educa- tion AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing free SUNY, CUNY and community college tuition to active volunteer firefighters, volunteer emergency medical services providers, and volunteer auxilia- ry police officers The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the educa- 2 tion law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 1-a to read as follows: 3 (1-a) The trustees shall implement a program to permit any student who 4 has been admitted to a state-operated institution of the state universi- 5 ty to attend without the payment of tuition and fees if such student 6 serves as an active volunteer firefighter, as defined in subdivision one 7 of section two hundred fifteen of the general municipal law, volunteer 8 emergency medical services provider, or volunteer auxiliary police offi- 9 cer. The provisions of this subparagraph shall only apply to costs of 10 one undergraduate degree and any additional costs associated with more 11 than one simultaneous undergraduate degree shall not be covered by this 12 program. 13 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer 14 the program according to the following criteria: 15 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for 16 this program, provided that at the time of application, such student 17 submits proof of membership in good standing of a volunteer fire company 18 or department, volunteer emergency medical services provider or a volun- 19 teer auxiliary police officer of a police department within the state of 20 New York. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03276-01-5
S. 3139 2 1 (B) The student shall be required to maintain status as a member in 2 good standing of the volunteer fire company or department, volunteer 3 emergency medical service provider or police department in which such 4 student serves as an auxiliary police officer through the completion of 5 such student's academic program. 6 (C) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point 7 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the 8 program. 9 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the 10 requirements set forth in clause (i) of this subparagraph, the trustees 11 shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition which 12 would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New York 13 state higher education services corporation, plus interest, according to 14 a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment may also 15 be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for information 16 necessary to determine continued eligibility or for administration of 17 the program. 18 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 19 subparagraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program 20 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be 21 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this clause. 22 (iv) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 23 subparagraph and is otherwise eligible for the excelsior scholarship 24 program shall be required to apply for same. Funds awarded through the 25 excelsior scholarship program shall be applied towards the cost of 26 tuition prior to an award under this clause. 27 (v) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous- 28 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges. 29 § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law is amended by 30 adding a new paragraph (g) to read as follows: 31 (g) The trustees shall implement a program to permit any student who 32 has been admitted to an institution operated by the city university to 33 attend without the payment of tuition and fees if such student fulfills 34 the requirements of such program pursuant to the provisions of this 35 paragraph. 36 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer 37 the program according to the following criteria: 38 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for 39 this program, provided that at the time of application, such student 40 submits proof of membership in good standing of a volunteer fire company 41 or department, volunteer medical services provider or a volunteer auxil- 42 iary police officer of a police department within the state of New York. 43 (B) The student shall be required to maintain status as a member in 44 good standing of the volunteer fire company or department, volunteer 45 emergency medical service provider or police department in which such 46 student serves as an auxiliary police officer through the completion of 47 such student's academic program. 48 (C) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point 49 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the 50 program. 51 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the 52 requirements set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the trus- 53 tees shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition 54 which would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New 55 York state higher education services corporation, plus interest, accord- 56 ing to a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment
S. 3139 3 1 may also be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for 2 information necessary to determine continued eligibility or for adminis- 3 tration of the program. 4 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 5 paragraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program 6 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be 7 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar- 8 agraph. 9 (iv) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 10 subparagraph and is otherwise eligible for the excelsior scholarship 11 program shall be required to apply for same. Funds awarded through the 12 excelsior scholarship program shall be applied towards the cost of 13 tuition prior to an award under this clause. 14 (v) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous- 15 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges. 16 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 6304 of the education law is amended by 17 adding a new paragraph e to read as follows: 18 e. The trustees, sponsors or other governing body of a community 19 college shall implement a program to permit any student who has been 20 admitted to such community college to attend without the payment of 21 tuition and fees if such student fulfills the requirements of such 22 program pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph. 23 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer 24 the program according to the following criteria: 25 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for 26 this program, provided that at the time of application, such student 27 submits proof of membership in good standing of a volunteer fire company 28 or department, volunteer medical services provider or a volunteer auxil- 29 iary police officer of a police department within the state of New York. 30 (B) The student shall be required to maintain status as a member in 31 good standing of the volunteer fire company or department, volunteer 32 emergency medical service provider or police department in which such 33 student serves as an auxiliary police officer through the completion of 34 such student's academic program. 35 (C) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point 36 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the 37 program. 38 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the 39 requirements set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the trus- 40 tees shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition 41 which would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New 42 York state higher education services corporation, plus interest, accord- 43 ing to a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment 44 may also be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for 45 information necessary to determine continued eligibility or for adminis- 46 tration of the program. 47 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 48 paragraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program 49 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be 50 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar- 51 agraph. 52 (iv) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 53 subparagraph and is otherwise eligible for the excelsior scholarship 54 program shall be required to apply for same. Funds awarded through the 55 excelsior scholarship program shall be applied towards the cost of 56 tuition prior to an award under this clause.
S. 3139 4 1 (v) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous- 2 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges. 3 § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 4 have become a law.