Bill Text: NJ S2620 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requires four-year institutions of higher education to offer accelerated three-year baccalaureate degree programs.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-12-19 - Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [S2620 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S2620-Amended.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
Senator STEPHEN M. SWEENEY
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Ruiz and Beck
SYNOPSIS
Requires four-year institutions of higher education to offer accelerated three-year baccalaureate degree programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on December 15, 2016, with amendments.
An Act concerning degree programs offered by four-year institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 62 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A four-year institution of higher education 1[, by the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year,]1 shall offer baccalaureate degree programs that may be completed in three years. 1The programs shall be offered by the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year, or pursuant to a timeline established under the provisions of section 3 of this act.1 An institution shall offer the three-year degree option in designated majors that the institution, in its discretion, determines are well-suited for an accelerated three-year program. A three-year baccalaureate degree program shall:
(1) establish eligibility criteria for students who wish to participate in the program;
(2) require a student to complete the same number of credits and other academic requirements as are required for the four-year program in that major;
(3) require a student to take courses during the summer for two consecutive summers;
(4) 1[provide a student with free tuition and free housing during the summer, provided that the student has met the program's academic requirements in the preceding semesters;
(5)]1 guarantee a student the availability of courses needed to complete the degree in three years; and
1[(6) provide a student with overall cost savings in attaining the degree as compared to completing the degree program in four years.]
(5) ensure that any internship requirements for the degree program are incorporated into the accelerated three-year framework.1
b. A four-year institution of higher education shall offer support resources, such as advising and academic supports, to assist students in the successful completion of an accelerated three-year baccalaureate degree program.
1c. A four-year institution of higher education that offers three or fewer undergraduate degree programs shall not be required to offer a three-year degree option pursuant to this act.
d. A four-year institution of higher education that does not operate a summer session shall not be required to offer a three-year degree option pursuant to this act.1
2. 1[The State shall reimburse a four-year institution of higher education for the costs of tuition and housing for the summer terms for students who participate in a three-year baccalaureate degree program.] Notwithstanding the provisions of any law or regulation to the contrary, a student who participates in a three-year baccalaureate degree program may utilize financial aid from any State-funded financial aid programs for which the student is eligible, including the Tuition Aid Grant Program and the Educational Opportunity Fund, toward the costs of tuition and housing for the summer sessions.1
13. a. By January 1, 2018, a four-year institution of higher education shall submit a written report to the Secretary of Higher Education identifying the majors for which the institution has determined to offer an accelerated three-year baccalaureate degree program. The report shall include information regarding the anticipated financial impact of the three-year programs on the institution.
b. (1) If an institution, based on financial concerns, is not prepared to offer a three-year baccalaureate degree program by the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year, the institution's report to the secretary under subsection a. of this section may contain a petition for an extension. An extension petition shall include information demonstrating that launching a three-year degree program by the 2020-2021 academic year would have a significant and cost-prohibitive financial impact on the institution, and that the institution has made a good faith effort to identify majors that are well-suited for a three-year degree program.
(2) Based on the information submitted in an extension petition and on a case by case basis, the secretary shall determine within 90 days of receipt of the petition, whether it is reasonable for the institution to offer a three-year baccalaureate degree program by the 2020-2021 academic year. If the secretary determines that the institution needs more time before offering the program, the secretary shall provide an extension in one-year increments, with a maximum extension of three years. An institution that is granted an extension shall submit an implementation plan to the secretary that complies with the extension timeline.1
1[3.] 4.1 This act shall take effect immediately.
