S4271

An Act amending the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations act, P.L.2019, c.150.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The following language provision in section 1 of P.L.2019, c.150, the annual appropriations act for Fiscal Year 2020, is amended to read as follows:

74 DEPARTMENT OF STATE

30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development

36 Higher Educational Services

2405 Higher Education Student Assistance Authority

GRANTS-IN-AID

Notwithstanding the provisions of any law or regulation to the contrary, the amount hereinabove appropriated for Community College Opportunity Grants is subject to the following conditions: (1) $25 million is appropriated to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority for the purpose of providing grants to eligible enrollees at New Jersey county colleges for the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters, to pay for the costs of tuition or approved educational fees, including fees for nursing, culinary, and other career and technical education programs, or both, that are not already covered by other available funding opportunities, including, but not limited to, awards of tuition assistance and grants from any source, as determined by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority; provided, however, that the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, shall establish criteria governing student eligibility and other necessary program elements, which shall be published on the Authority’s Internet website; provided further that for Fiscal Year 2020, grants shall be available only to students determined to be eligible by the Authority, and whose adjusted gross income does not exceed $65,000; and provided further that, notwithstanding the adjusted gross income limits established herein for the Community College Opportunity Grant program, a member of a volunteer fire company or an incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue, or ambulance squad, who meets all other eligibility criteria under the Community College Opportunity Grant program, shall be eligible for the program; and provided further that the maximum per student tuition and approved educational fee amounts eligible for Community College Opportunity Grants coverage shall not be more than two percent greater than the equivalent tuition and fee amounts at each county

college in Academic Year 2018-2019; and provided further that unexpended balances, not to exceed $5 million, may be reallocated to augment the Tuition [Assistance] Aid Grant program for county colleges, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Higher Education and subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting; (2) students must be enrolled in 6 or more credit hours, as defined pursuant to N.J.A.C. 9A:9-2.6; (3) $5,000,000 shall be allocated to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education for the purpose of providing capacity-building grants of equal amount to all community colleges for outreach and student success initiatives that support the goals of the Community College Opportunity Grant program, pursuant to criteria to be established by the Secretary and published on the Internet website of the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, which shall include but not be limited to implementing goals and strategies for capacity building, increasing student completion, and reducing financial burdens on students, subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

Under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations act, $30 million was appropriated to the Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) Program. Of the $30 million appropriated, footnote language in the FY 2020 appropriations act provides that $25 million is appropriated for the purposes of providing financial aid grants to eligible students. The CCOG program provides county college students enrolled in at least six credits who have adjusted gross income at or below $65,000 with financial aid grants, which cover the remaining costs of tuition and certain fees after applying all other grant and scholarship funds for which the student is eligible.

This bill amends footnote language governing the CCOG program in the FY 2020 appropriations act to provide that, regardless of income levels, all members of a volunteer fire company or an incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue, or ambulance squad, meeting all other eligibility criteria under the CCOG program, are eligible for financial aid grants.