Sponsored by:
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Requires institutions of higher education and proprietary degree-granting institutions that have agreements with online program managers to disclose certain online program information.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the disclosure of online program information by certain institutions and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, “online program manager” means an entity that enters into a contract or agreement with an institution of higher education or proprietary degree-granting institution to provide one or more of the following services on behalf of the institution in exchange for financial compensation: advertising and marketing services; recruiting, admissions, and financial services; instruction services; student support services; technology resources and support services; and curriculum development services.
b. An institution of higher education or proprietary degree-granting institution, which is eligible to participate in State student grant and scholarship programs, that enters into an agreement with an online program manager shall make publicly available on its website the following information on the online programs that are supported by the online program manager:
(1) the name of the online program manager contracted by the institution;
(2) the admission requirements;
(3) the online program’s tuition costs compared to on-campus program tuition costs;
(4) the financial aid available for the online program;
(5) the average financial aid amount provided to students in the online program; and
(6) the percentage of students in the online program that receive financial aid.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires an institution of higher education or proprietary degree-granting institution, which is eligible to participate in State student grant and scholarship programs, to make publicly available on its website certain information on its online programs if the institution has entered into an agreement with an online program manager. An online program manager is defined under the bill as an entity that enters into a contract or agreement with an institution of higher education or proprietary degree-granting institution to provide one or more of the following services on behalf of the institution in exchange for financial compensation: advertising and marketing services; recruiting, admissions, and financial services; instruction services; student support services; technology resources and support services; and curriculum development services. The institution of higher education or proprietary degree-granting institution is required to make publicly available on its website the following information on the online programs that are supported by the online program manager:
(1) the name of the online program manager;
(2) admission requirements;
(3) the online program’s tuition costs compared to on-campus program tuition costs;
(4) the financial aid available for the online program;
(5) the average financial aid amount provided to students in the online program; and
(6) the percentage of students in the online program that receive financial aid