Relates to tuition assistance program awards for dual or concurrent enrollment coursework; awards dual or concurrent enrollment program awards for payment annually to school districts in which dual or concurrent enrollment programs are located.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8941A
SPONSOR: Benedetto TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to tuition assistance
program awards for dual or concurrent enrollment coursework
PURPOSE:
This bill allows a student's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award to
be applied to credits earned in a dual or concurrent enrollment high
school program upon such student's enrollment in and acceptance of the
credits by a postsecondary degree program.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill amends education law by adding a new section 640 to authorize
the President of the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) to
apply TAP awards to eligible school districts' dual or concurrent
enrollment programs upon such students enrollment in and acceptance of
the credits by postsecondary degree programs. The bill adds a new
section 669-i to determine the award process, funding amounts and mech-
anism HESC will use for these TAP awards to be applied to eligible
school districts.
JUSTIFICATION:.
Dual and concurrent enrollment coursework is an effective way for high
school students to accelerate academically into postsecondary education
and earn college credit while in high school. These programs have the
potential to deliver multiple benefits for students, including lowering
their total college costs, reducing their time for degree completion and
reducing student loan debt. Additionally, early exposure to college
coursework through dual and concurrent enrollment programs has the
potential to increase access to college for students who might not have
considered or completed postsecondary education.
This bill provides a funding source to encourage the expansion of dual
and concurrent enrollment programs in high school, bridges the artic-
ulation between high schools and colleges and universities and grants
more opportunities to students with college completion, financing and
credits. Furthermore, this legislation includes accountability measures
to ensure TAP awards would be granted only after credit is applied
towards a degree in a postsecondary program eligible for TAP.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021/2022 (S552A): Passed Senate.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The bill would allow certain high school students to access TAP earlier
without increasing.the amount of the TAP award that each student
receives.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.
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.
