What's happening
This bill creates a merit-based scholarship program for top-performing New York high school graduates attending state community colleges.
Why it matters
Targets high-achieving local students. By focusing on the top 20% of New York high school graduates, the program incentivizes academic excellence and encourages talented students to remain in-state for their community college education.
Reduces financial barriers. The $1,000 per year scholarship, renewable for up to two years (and flexible for part-time students), helps cover not just tuition but also fees, books, transportation, and room and board—potentially making college more accessible to recipients from diverse economic backgrounds.
Aims to boost community college enrollment and completion. By offering direct financial incentives tied to academic performance and retention (maintaining a 3.3 GPA and good standing), the bill seeks to improve both enrollment and graduation rates at New York’s community colleges.
Avoids penalizing other aid. The scholarship is structured so that it does not reduce a student’s eligibility for existing tuition assistance programs, meaning recipients can stack this award with other financial aid for maximum benefit.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
High-achieving New York community college students
Graduates in the top 20 percent of a New York high school class could receive $1,000 annually, up to $2,000 total, while maintaining good academic standing and at least a 3.3 GPA.
Part-time community college students
Awards would be available on a per-credit basis, without the two-academic-year limit that applies to full-time recipients.
Community college students receiving tuition assistance
The scholarship would not affect tuition assistance eligibility and could cover attendance costs including books, transportation, and room and board.
New York community colleges
The bill would establish merit scholarships for their students, with up to 1,000 scholarships available to new recipients annually.
Headline styles
Merit Scholarships for Community College
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to higher education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10955
IN ASSEMBLY
May 29, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. SMITH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the community college merit and mobility scholarship
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 669-i to read as follows:
§ 669-i. The community college merit and mobility scholarship. 1. Purpose. The community college merit and mobility scholarship is hereby established for the purpose of granting merit based scholarships to students who attend a New York state community college.
2. Eligibility. To be eligible for such awards, an applicant must have graduated from a New York state high school within the top twenty percent of his or her high school class and achieve the following:
a. remain in good academic standing, and
b. maintain a grade point average of 3.3 or above.
3. Awards. One thousand scholarships shall be awarded in the two thousand eighteen -- two thousand nineteen academic year, and thereafter. The annual scholarship shall be awarded to eligible applicants in the amount of one thousand dollars per year for not more than two academic years. The maximum scholarship award shall not exceed two thousand dollars. The president shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to make such scholarship available on an annual basis to full-time recipients or per credit basis to part-time recipients. Part-time students shall not be impacted by the two-year academic year award limitation. Up to one thousand scholarships may be granted to new recipients annually. The receipt of such scholarships shall not affect tuition assistance eligibility. In no event shall the amount of the annual award exceed the recipient's cost of attendance at the institution attended. Cost of attendance shall mean tuition, required fees, laboratory and other instruction related to expenses, books, transportation, and room and board.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15503-01-8
A. 10955 2
4. Priority. In the event that there are more applicants who have the same priority than there are remaining scholarships, the president shall distribute the remaining number of such scholarships by means of a lottery or other form of random selection.
5. Rules. The corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations, and may promulgate emergency regulations, for the necessary implementation of the provisions of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.