S2998

An Act concerning tuition benefits for service members and veterans and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and P.L.1989, c.293 (C.34:15C-1 et seq.).

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

1. As used in this act:

"Service member" means an individual who is serving on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard.

"Veteran" means an individual who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard, and who was released under circumstances other than dishonorable from active service.

2. It shall be an unlawful practice and a violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for an institution of higher education, degree-granting proprietary school, or a third party entity with an agreement to provide educational programs, marketing, advertising, recruiting, or admissions services on behalf of an institution or school, to misrepresent or engage in any unfair or deceptive practice toward a service member or veteran regarding:

a. the costs of enrollment at the institution or school, including tuition and any fees or other charges;

b. the applicability of any federal tuition benefits for which the service member or veteran is eligible under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program, the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty program, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve program, or any other federal higher education benefits towards program costs at the institution or school; or

c. the availability or nature of any financial assistance offered to students, including a student’s responsibility to repay any particular type of financial aid, such as student loans.

3. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, shall establish a GI Bill public awareness campaign to educate service members and veterans about the applicability of any federal tuition benefits for which service members or veterans are, or will be, eligible under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program, the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty program, or the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve program. The campaign shall include information about how a service member or veteran may:

a. determine eligibility for GI Bill benefits through the State Approving Agency;

b. verify that GI Bill benefits can be used at an institution, school, or program; and

c. access additional funding though other sources of financial aid or loans.

Any information offered to service members or veterans on student loan options shall ensure a full understanding of the implications and responsibilities of borrowing.

4. a. It shall be an unlawful practice and a violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for a private career school, or a third party entity with an agreement to provide educational programs, marketing, advertising, recruiting, or admissions services on behalf of the school, to misrepresent or engage in any unfair or deceptive practice toward a service member or veteran regarding:

(1) the costs of enrollment at the school, including tuition and any fees or other charges;

(2) the applicability of any federal tuition benefits for which the service member or veteran is eligible under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program, the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty program, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve program, or any other federal higher education benefits, towards program costs at the school; or

(3) the availability or nature of any financial assistance offered to students, including a student’s responsibility to repay any particular type of financial aid, such as student loans.

b. As used in this section:

"Private career school" means a privately owned and privately operated postsecondary school, other than an institution of higher education or proprietary institution licensed to offer academic degrees, that furnishes or offers to furnish programs, whether or not requiring a payment of tuition or fee, for the purpose of training, retraining, or upgrading individuals for gainful employment as workers in recognized or emerging occupations.

"Service member" means an individual who is serving on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard.

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill prohibits the misrepresentation of federal tuition benefits to service members and veterans and requires the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to establish a public awareness campaign on certain higher education benefits available to service members and veterans.

The bill provides that it is an unlawful practice and a violation of the State consumer fraud act P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for an institution of higher education, degree-granting proprietary school, private career school, or a third party entity with an agreement to provide educational programs, marketing, advertising, recruiting, or admissions services on behalf of an institution or school, to misrepresent or engage in any unfair or deceptive practice toward a service member or veteran regarding:

· the costs of enrollment at the institution or school;

· the applicability of any federal tuition benefits for which the service member or veteran is eligible under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program, the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty program, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve program, or any other federal higher education benefits towards program costs at the institution or school; or

· the availability or nature of any financial assistance offered to students.

The bill also directs the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, to establish a GI Bill public awareness campaign to educate service members and veterans about the applicability of any federal tuition benefits for which service members or veterans are, or will be, eligible under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program, the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty program, or the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve program. The campaign is required to include information about how a service member or veteran may:

· determine eligibility for GI Bill benefits through the State Approving Agency;

· verify that GI Bill benefits can be used at an institution, school, or program; and

· access additional funding though other sources of financial aid or loans.