Bill Text: NJ S3063 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Provides tuition fee waiver apprenticeship courses.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-3)

Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-21 - Pocket Veto - Bills not Acted on by Governor-end of Session [S3063 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-S3063-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3063

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 15, 2018

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Greenstein

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Provides tuition fee waiver apprenticeship courses.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Labor Committee on December 3, 2018, with amendments.

 

An Act concerning apprenticeship tuition fees 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.    As used in this act:

     "Eligible person" means an individual whose gross aggregate household income at the time of admission to a New Jersey public institution of higher education or county vocational school providing post-secondary vocational education is below the State household median income.

     "Gross aggregate household income" means the total annual income of all members of a household, from whatever source derived, including, but not limited to, pension, annuity, retirement and Social Security benefits received during the taxable year.

     "Registered apprenticeship" means an apprenticeship in a program providing to each trainee combined classroom and on-the-job training under the direct and close supervision of a highly skilled worker in an occupation recognized as an apprenticeable trade, and registered by the Office of Apprenticeship of the United States Department of Labor and meeting the standards established by that office.

     "State household median income" means the point that divides the gross aggregate household income distribution into halves, one-half with income above the median and the other with income below the median ¹as determined by the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey¹.  The median is based on the income distribution of all households, including those with no income in the State.

     "Tuition" means the charges imposed by a New Jersey public institution of higher education or county vocational school providing post-secondary vocational education for enrollment at the institution or school.

 

     2.    a.   An eligible person shall be permitted to attend regularly-scheduled courses at any public institution of higher education or county vocational school and to receive a certification of completion of a registered apprenticeship ¹[as defined in section 1 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)]¹ tuition-free if:

     (1)  ¹[the person has been in the labor workforce for at least six months;

     (2)]¹ tuition costs are not covered by an employer through employment benefits;

     ¹[(3)] (2)¹ the person completes a Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year within the established deadlines and has exhausted all financial aid assistance; and

     ¹[(4)] (3)¹ the person maintains satisfactory academic progress to qualify for renewal of the tuition waiver.

     b.    The State shall reimburse a public institution of higher education or county vocational school for the tuition cost of each eligible person who enrolls in the institution pursuant to the provisions of this section.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following the date of enactment.