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History
- Referred to higher education
- Referred to higher education
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the determination of tuition assistance program awards
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to provide financial aid officers with the ability to assist students receiving the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) awards by adjusting awards to accurately reflect a change in financial status under certain circumstances.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends subdivision 1 of Section 663 of the education law as amended by chapter 305 of the laws of 2008 to define income.
Section 2 amends paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 5 of section 663 of the education law, as amended by chapter 622 of the laws of 2008 to allow financial aid officers the ability to adjust TAP awards.
Special circumstances for which the financial aid officer can use professional judgment include catastrophic illness of the applicant, spouse and/or parent or legal guardian; or the applicant, parent, legal guardian or spouse of the applicant being called to active military duty. Divorce and involuntary unemployment are also included.
Adequate documentation, which HESC will define in regulation, shall be required to substantiate such special circumstances of individual students. No student or parent shall be charged a fee for collecting, processing or delivering supplementary information.
Justification
In some cases a student's Tuition Assistance Program application does not reflect the true financial needs of that student. However, currently there is no mechanism within the program to account for special circumstances. This bill will create and outline the mechanism for financial aid officers to re-evaluate a student's financial aid application in situations adequately documented as special considerations.
The mechanism outlined in this bill is similar to that currently authorized for Federal Pell Grant applications.
Legislative history
2007-08 S.1574-A/A.1919-A. Vetoed Memo 107; 2006 A.9239-C, Passed Assembly; 2005 A.726-A, Ways and Means.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.