What's happening
This bill creates a merit-based scholarship for top-performing New York high school graduates attending state community colleges.
Why it matters
Targets high-achieving students. By limiting eligibility to graduates in the top 20% of their high school class with a GPA of 3.3 or higher, the bill encourages academic excellence and helps retain talented students within New York’s public education system.
Eases financial barriers for community college. The scholarship provides up to $2,000 over two years for educational expenses, which can cover tuition, fees, books, transportation, and room and board—making community college more affordable for high performers.
Accommodates both full- and part-time students. The award structure allows part-time students to receive funds on a per-credit basis without being restricted by the two-year time limit, increasing flexibility for nontraditional students or those with work or family obligations.
Maintains access to other aid. Recipients of this scholarship remain eligible for existing tuition assistance programs, which means the award can supplement rather than replace other financial support, potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs even further.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Merit Scholarships for Community College
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to higher education
- Referred to higher education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
204
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- 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 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 nineteen--two thousand twenty 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
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02376-01-9
S. 204 2
mean tuition, required fees, laboratory and other instruction related to expenses, books, transportation, and room and board.
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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the community college merit and mobility scholarship
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would provide students who graduated within the top twenty percent of their New York State high school class with a $1,000 yearly scholarship if they choose to attend a New York State community college.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends the education law by adding a new section 699-h, which establishes the Community College Merit and Mobility Scholarship. Students eligible for this scholarship must attend a New York State community college and have graduated within the top twenty percent of their high school class. The award shall be $1,000 annually for up to two years. Up to 1,000 scholarships will be awarded to new students annually.
Section 2 contains the effective date.
Justification
Community colleges in New York State offer a wide variety of learning opportunities ranging from transfer and career degrees to programs customized to serve specific individual, community, business and econom- ic needs. Each New York Community college is unique in the types of programs and degrees offered to its students.
This scholarship provides an incentive for New York's brightest students to take advantage of what New York Community colleges have to offer. This bill provides financial assistance to encourage students to consid- er programs not only at their local community colleges, but community colleges across the state.
Prior legislative history
S.6841- Referenced to Higher Education S. 719 of 2017/2018 referred to Higher Education
Fiscal implications
Up to $2 million when fully annualized.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.