Bill Text: NJ ACR54 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Secretary of Higher Education and Educational Opportunity Fund Board to study and modernize program regulations, particularly regulations related to student funding priority levels.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-03 - Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading [ACR54 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-ACR54-Introduced.html
ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 54
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Secretary of Higher Education and Educational Opportunity Fund Board to study and modernize program regulations, particularly regulations related to student funding priority levels.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Concurrent Resolution urging the Secretary of Higher Education and the Educational Opportunity Fund Board of Directors to examine certain regulations governing the Educational Opportunity Fund program.
Whereas, The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, established in 1968 under P.L.1968, c.142 (C.18A:71-28 et seq.), supports educationally and economically disadvantaged students for undergraduate and graduate study at public and private institutions of higher education in New Jersey; and
Whereas, The EOF program, which is administered by the State's Secretary of Higher Education and governed by the EOF Board of Directors, in part provides direct financial aid to students through Opportunity Grants, which assist students in meeting college expenses, such as fees, books, room, board, and transportation, that are not covered by the State's Tuition Aid Grant program; and
Whereas, While the EOF program benefits thousands of New Jersey students each year, regulations governing the EOF program do not adequately account for certain changes in the State's current education policy, specifically those changes that encourage participation in dual enrollment and other college readiness programs while in high school; and
Whereas, Current State law requires public colleges, and permits school districts, to provide opportunities for dual enrollment programs in which high schools partner with an institution of higher education to offer coursework that can be applied toward completion of a postsecondary degree; and
Whereas, Current EOF regulations specify that institutions are to award Opportunity Grant funds to students in the following priority order: 1) renewal students who were awarded funds during the previous academic year; 2) first-time, full-time freshmen; 3) EOF transfer students who received an EOF student grant at another institution, in the preceding academic year; 4) renewal students readmitted or returning to the program who did not receive awards in the prior academic year; and 5) eligible students who do not fall into any of the other four categories; and
Whereas, Under the regulations, a high school graduate who has, for example, earned an associate degree through participation in a dual enrollment program is not considered a "first-year student" and is thus considered in the lowest EOF funding priority level as opposed to being considered in the second funding priority level if the student had not attained an associate degree in high school; and
Whereas, The current funding priority structure, then, may cause high school graduates who have earned associate degrees through dual enrollment programs to receive lower EOF grants or to be precluded from certain institutions' EOF programs altogether; and
Whereas, The structure creates a disincentive for high school students to earn associate degrees and may deter participation in dual enrollment and other college readiness programs that the Legislature and several administrations have strived to establish and encourage; and
Whereas, In addition to dual enrollment programs, there are several other programs in New Jersey that offer the opportunity for students to prepare for college or earn college credit while in high school, including Advanced Placement courses, College Readiness Now, College Bound, Governor's Schools, Pathways in Technology Early College (P-TECH) High Schools, and vocational-technical schools; and
Whereas, The disadvantage created for dual enrollment high school students and other students who have earned associate degrees in high school shows a disconnect between the EOF regulations and current policy goals of the State to expand educational access while increasing affordability and further raises a concern that other areas of the regulations may also be misaligned; and
Whereas, To ensure fair treatment of high school students entering college with 24 or more college credits, it is fitting and proper that the Legislature of the State of New Jersey urge the Secretary of Higher Education and the EOF Board of Directors to conduct a study of current EOF regulations to review the current EOF funding priority structure, evaluate all EOF regulations to identify any other similar conflicts impacting students who participate in college readiness programs, and examine ways in which the regulations can be modernized to reflect the State's current educational policy goals; and
Whereas, Furthermore, the Legislature urges the secretary to share with the Senate Higher Education Committee and the Assembly Higher Education Committee the findings of the study and to detail the steps that will be taken to address the hereinabove stated concerns; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):
1. The New Jersey Legislature respectfully urges the Secretary of Higher Education and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Board of Directors to conduct a study of current regulations governing the EOF program, particularly provisions that allow students who earned associate degrees through participation in dual enrollment or other college readiness programs to receive lower EOF funding support or to be precluded from institutions' EOF programs altogether. The secretary and the board are also respectfully urged to evaluate all EOF regulations to identify any other potential conflicts with encouraging participation in college readiness programs, and examine ways in which the regulations can be modernized to reflect the State's current educational policy goals. The secretary is respectfully urged to share with the Senate Higher Education Committee and the Assembly Higher Education Committee the findings of the study and to detail the steps that will be taken to address the concerns related to the EOF program.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Secretary of Higher Education and to each member of the Educational Opportunity Fund Board of Directors.
STATEMENT
The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, established by State law in 1968, supports educationally and economically disadvantaged students for undergraduate and graduate study at public and private institutions of higher education in New Jersey. The EOF program, in part, provides direct financial aid to students through Opportunity Grants, which assist students in meeting college expenses, such as fees, books, room, board, and transportation, that are not covered by the State's Tuition Aid Grant program.
Current EOF regulations specify that institutions are to award Opportunity Grant funds to students in the following priority order: 1) renewal students who were given awards during the previous academic year; 2) first-time, full-time freshmen; 3) EOF transfer students who received an EOF student grant at another institution, in the preceding academic year; 4) renewal students readmitted or returning to the program who did not receive awards in the prior academic year; and 5) eligible students who do not fall into any of the other four categories. Under this structure, a high school graduate who has, for example, earned an associate degree through participation in a dual enrollment program is not considered a "first-year student" and is thus placed in the lowest EOF funding priority level as opposed to being considered in the second funding priority level if the student had not attained an associate degree. The structure creates a disincentive for students to participate in dual enrollment and other college readiness programs that the Legislature and several administrations have strived to establish and encourage.
This resolution urges the Secretary of Higher Education and the Educational Opportunity Fund Board of Directors, who respectively administer and govern the program, to study and modernize current EOF regulations, specifically regulations that negatively impact students who have earned 24 or more college credits while in high school. Dual enrollment programs allow high schools to partner with an institution of higher education to offer coursework that can be applied toward completion of a postsecondary degree.
