Bill Text: NY S04794 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Makes tuition free for New York state residents serving as volunteer firefighters at SUNY and CUNY schools and community colleges.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION [S04794 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S04794-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4794 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 1, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sens. KAMINSKY, BROOKS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing free SUNY, CUNY and community college tuition to volunteer firefighters The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the educa- 2 tion law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 1-a to read as follows: 3 (1-a) The trustees shall implement a program to permit any student who 4 has been admitted to a state-operated institution of the state universi- 5 ty to attend without the payment of tuition and fees if such student 6 serves as an active volunteer firefighter as defined in subdivision one 7 of section two hundred fifteen of the general municipal law. The 8 provisions of this subparagraph shall only apply to costs of one under- 9 graduate degree and any additional costs associated with more than one 10 simultaneous undergraduate degree shall not be covered by this program. 11 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer 12 the program according to the following criteria: 13 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for 14 this program. 15 (B) The student shall be required to serve as an active volunteer 16 firefighter through the completion of his or her academic program. 17 (C) Students shall be required to complete their degree program within 18 a minimum period of time to be set by the trustees which shall be no 19 fewer than three years and no more than five years. 20 (D) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point 21 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the 22 program. 23 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the 24 requirements set forth in clause (i) of this subparagraph, the trustees 25 shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition which EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04712-01-7S. 4794 2 1 would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New York 2 state higher education services corporation, plus interest, according to 3 a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment may also 4 be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for information 5 necessary to determine continued eligibility or for administration of 6 the program. 7 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 8 subparagraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program 9 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be 10 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar- 11 agraph. 12 (iv) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous- 13 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges. 14 § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law is amended by 15 adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows: 16 (d) The trustees shall implement a program to permit any student who 17 has been admitted to an institution operated by the city university to 18 attend without the payment of tuition and fees if such student fulfills 19 the requirements of such program pursuant to the provisions of this 20 paragraph. 21 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer 22 the program according to the following criteria: 23 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for 24 this program. 25 (B) The student shall be required to serve as an active volunteer 26 firefighter through the completion of his or her academic program. 27 (C) Students shall be required to complete their degree program within 28 a minimum period of time to be set by the trustees which shall be no 29 fewer than three years and no more than five years. 30 (D) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point 31 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the 32 program. 33 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the 34 requirements set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the trus- 35 tees shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition 36 which would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New 37 York state higher education services corporation, plus interest, accord- 38 ing to a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment 39 may also be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for 40 information necessary to determine continued eligibility or for adminis- 41 tration of the program. 42 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 43 paragraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program 44 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be 45 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar- 46 agraph. 47 (iv) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous- 48 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges. 49 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 6304 of the education law is amended by 50 adding a new paragraph e to read as follows: 51 e. The trustees, sponsors or other governing body of a community 52 college shall implement a program to permit any student who has been 53 admitted to such community college to attend without the payment of 54 tuition and fees if such student fulfills the requirements of such 55 program pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph.S. 4794 3 1 (i) The trustees shall provide an application process and administer 2 the program according to the following criteria: 3 (A) Any student eligible for resident tuition rates is eligible for 4 this program. 5 (B) The student shall be required to serve as an active volunteer 6 firefighter through the completion of his or her academic program. 7 (C) Students shall be required to complete their degree program within 8 a minimum period of time to be set by the trustees which shall be no 9 fewer than three years and no more than five years. 10 (D) The student shall be required to maintain a cumulative grade point 11 average (G.P.A.) of at least 2.5 in order to remain eligible for the 12 program. 13 (ii) If a student or former student fails to fulfill any of the 14 requirements set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the trus- 15 tees shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the tuition 16 which would have been paid by such student, as determined by the New 17 York state higher education services corporation, plus interest, accord- 18 ing to a schedule to be determined by such corporation. Such repayment 19 may also be required if a recipient fails to respond to requests for 20 information necessary to determine continued eligibility or for adminis- 21 tration of the program. 22 (iii) Any student who elects to participate in the program under this 23 paragraph shall be required to apply for tuition assistance program 24 funding. Funds awarded on the tuition assistance program shall be 25 applied towards the cost of tuition prior to an award under this subpar- 26 agraph. 27 (iv) Students shall be responsible for all other costs including hous- 28 ing, fees and other non-tuition related charges. 29 § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 30 have become a law.
