Bill Text: NJ A5087 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes New Jersey Tuition Reimbursement Program for Special Education Teachers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-12-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A5087 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A5087-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANDREA KATZ
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes New Jersey Tuition Reimbursement Program for Special Education Teachers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the New Jersey Tuition Reimbursement Program for Special Education Teachers and supplementing chapter 71C of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Approved program of study" means a regionally-accredited educator preparation program to attain a Master's degree in special education or to complete graduate-level coursework that leads to New Jersey Department of Education certification as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities within an elementary or secondary school setting.
"Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
"Eligible tuition expenses" means tuition expenses that were incurred by a program participant in attending an approved program of study and which were not covered by any grants or scholarships.
"Program" means the Tuition Reimbursement Program for Special Education Teachers established pursuant to this act.
"Program participant" means a teacher who contracts with the authority to be employed as a special education teacher in return for tuition reimbursement provided under the program.
2. a. There is established in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, in coordination with the Department of Education, the New Jersey Tuition Reimbursement Program for Special Education Teachers. The program shall provide reimbursement to program participants for a portion of the eligible tuition expenses incurred by the participant.
b. A program participant shall enter into a contract with the authority for a specified four-year period of service in which the participant agrees to teach students classified with a disability in a public school in the State following the participant's completion of an approved program of study. The agreement shall specify the program participant's dates of required service and the total amount of reimbursement of eligible tuition expenses to be received by the participant in return for service.
c. The executive director of the authority shall determine the maximum annual amount of tuition reimbursement that may be provided to a program participant. The total tuition reimbursement amount for a program participant shall not exceed 100 percent of the participant's eligible tuition expenses.
d. The authority shall advertise the availability of the program.
3. To be eligible to participate in the program, an applicant shall:
a. be a resident of New Jersey;
b. hold a valid instructional certificate issued by the State Board of Examiners;
c. be enrolled in, or plan to enroll in, an approved program of study; and
d. agree to be employed as a special education teacher at a public school in New Jersey for four full school years in return for the tuition reimbursement provided under the program.
4. A program participant, as a condition of participation, shall be required to adhere to performance standards established by the authority. The standards shall include, but not be limited to, requirements that a program participant:
a. maintain residency in the State;
b. maintain a valid instructional certificate issued by the State Board of Examiners;
c. remain current with payments on any student loans;
d. maintain satisfactory performance in employment as a teacher of special education in a public school; and
e. report to the authority, on a form and in a manner prescribed by the authority, on the program participant's performance of services rendered prior to reimbursement of tuition under the program.
5. A program participant which fails to complete the required four year term of employment or fails to meet performance standards established by the authority pursuant to section 4 of this act shall be required to repay the full amount of any tuition reimbursement received under the program as a debt to the State.
6. The authority shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority the New Jersey Tuition Reimbursement Program for Special Education Teachers. The program is to provide reimbursement to program participants for a portion of the eligible tuition expenses incurred by the participant.
Under the bill, a program participant is to enter into a contract with the authority for a specified four-year period of service in which the participant agrees to teach students classified with a disability in a public school in the State following the participant's completion of a master's degree in special education or receipt of the teacher of students with disabilities endorsement to the instructional certificate. The agreement is to specify the program participant's dates of required service and the total amount of reimbursement of eligible tuition expenses to be received by the participant in return for service.
The bill directs the executive director of the authority to determine the maximum annual amount of tuition reimbursement that may be provided to a program participant. The total tuition reimbursement amount for a program participant may not exceed 100 percent of the participant's eligible tuition expenses.
The bill requires an applicant to:
· be a resident of New Jersey;
· hold a valid instructional certificate issued by the State Board of Examiners;
· be enrolled in, or plan to enroll in, a master's degree program in special education or graduate-level coursework that leads to New Jersey Department of Education certification as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities within an elementary or secondary school setting; and
· agree to be employed as a special education teacher at a public school in New Jersey for four full school years in return for the tuition reimbursement provided under the program.
Under the bill, a program participant, as a condition of participation, is required to adhere to performance standards established by the authority.
