Bill Text: NJ S1518 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Appropriates $7.5 million of Powerball lottery game proceeds to extend Part-Time Tuition Aid Grant Program from county colleges to all colleges.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-16 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S1518 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S1518-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Appropriates $7.5 million of Powerball lottery game proceeds to extend Part-Time Tuition Aid Grant Program from county colleges to all colleges.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act amending and supplementing "An Act making appropriations for the support of the State Government and the several public purposes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016 and regulating the disbursement thereof," approved June 26, 2015 (P.L.2015, c.63).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In addition to the amounts appropriated under section 1 of P.L.2015, c.63, the fiscal year 2016 annual appropriation act, there is appropriated out of the General Fund the following sum for the purpose specified:
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74 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development 36 Higher Educational Services 2405 Higher Education Student Assistance Authority GRANTS-IN-AID |
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45-2405 Student Assistance Programs ............................................. |
$7,500,000 |
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Total Grants-in-Aid Appropriation, |
$7,500,000 |
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Higher Education Student Assistance Authority ........... |
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Grants-in-Aid: |
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45 Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants for Four- Year Public and Private Colleges and Universities ............................ |
($7,500,000) |
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From the amounts the State collects from the operation of the Powerball lottery game, an amount equal to $7,500,000 shall be allocated to the Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants program to extend to all eligible institutions as defined by N.J.S.18A:71B-1 the Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants program previously reserved for county colleges. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall use the $7,500,000 for the exclusive purpose of providing Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants to students enrolled part-time at eligible institutions as defined by N.J.S.18A:71B-1 that are not county colleges established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:64A-1.
2. The following language provision in section 1 of P.L.2015, c.63, the fiscal year 2016 annual appropriation act, is amended to read as follows:
74 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development 36 Higher Educational Services 2405 Higher Education Student Assistance Authority GRANTS-IN-AID |
The amount hereinabove appropriated for Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants for County Colleges and for Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants for Four-Year Public and Private Colleges and Universities provided in section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall be used to provide funds for tuition aid grants for eligible, qualified part-time students enrolled at [the county colleges established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:64A-1 et seq] eligible institutions as defined by N.J.S.18A:71B-1. The tuition aid grants shall be used to pay the tuition at [a county college established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:64A-1 et seq] an eligible institution as defined by N.J.S.18A:71B-1. Within the limits of available appropriations as determined by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, part-time grant awards shall be pro-rated against the full-time grant award for the applicable institutional sector established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71B-21 as follows: an eligible student enrolled with six to eight credits shall receive one-half of the value of a full-time award and an eligible student enrolled with nine to eleven credits shall receive three-quarters of a full-time award. Students shall apply first for all other forms of federal student assistance grants and scholarships; student eligibility for the Tuition Aid Grant program for part-time enrollment at [a community college] an eligible institution as defined by N.J.S.18A:71B-1 shall in other respects be determined by the authority in accordance with the criteria established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71B-20, other than the criterion for full-time enrollment.
(cf: P.L.2015, c.63, s.1)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill seeks to extend to part-time students at all eligible institutions of higher education the Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants Program the fiscal year 2016 appropriations act made available to part-time students at county colleges only. In so doing, the bill provides for the fair and equal treatment of all New Jersey part-time students, regardless of the institution they choose.
The legislation turns to Powerball lottery game proceeds to fund the program expansion. Specifically, it supplements the appropriations act to direct an additional $7.5 million of these proceeds to the Part-time Tuition Aid Grants Program. In addition, the bill requires that the $7.5 million be used for the exclusive purpose of providing Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants to students enrolled part-time at institutions of higher education other than county colleges. Students at county colleges remain eligible under this bill for Part-Time Tuition Aid Grants, as the bill does not alter the $8.7 million the fiscal year 2016 appropriations act made available for that purpose.
The Powerball lottery game is a revenue source to the State. New Jersey retailers began selling Powerball tickets on January 31, 2010. The New Jersey Constitution dedicates lottery proceeds to State institutions and State aid for education, and New Jersey statutes specify that at least 30 percent of total proceeds be dedicated to those purposes. The State Lottery made $233.6 million in Powerball ticket sales in fiscal year 2014, according to the Division of State Lottery Annual Report for fiscal year 2014. If the sales performance were identical in fiscal year 2016, at least $70 million would be available to finance State institutions and State aid for education. Of this amount, the bill sets aside $7.5 million to grant part-time students at all institutions of higher education access to Part-time Tuition Aid Grants.
