What's happening
This bill lowers the minimum course load for part-time students and allows New York militia members to apply for tuition benefits before matriculating.
Why it matters
Expands Access for Part-Time Students. By lowering the minimum course load from six to three semester hours (and from four to two per quarter), the bill makes tuition benefits available to militia members who can only take very limited coursework—benefiting those balancing military, work, or family obligations.
Enables Earlier Financial Planning. Allowing militia members to apply for tuition benefits before officially enrolling in a program lets them secure funding in advance, which can be crucial for deciding whether higher education is financially feasible.
Potential to Increase Militia Recruitment and Retention. Making educational benefits more flexible and accessible may help New York attract and keep more militia members, offering a tangible incentive that fits diverse life situations.
Supports Non-Traditional and Working Students. The changes acknowledge that many service members are not able to commit to traditional full-time or even higher part-time course loads, making education more attainable for those with complex schedules.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Militia Tuition Benefits
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
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
209
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 the recruitment incentive and retention program for members of the New York state organized militia, reducing the minimum required course load for part-time students and permitting application for the tuition benefit prior to matriculation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph e of subdivision 3 of section 669-b of the education law, as added by chapter 268 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
e. The term "part-time study" shall mean enrollment in an approved post-secondary degree program for at least [six] three but less than twelve semester hours, or the equivalent per semester, or at least [four] two but less than eight semester hours per quarter in an institution.
§ 2. Section 669-b of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
3-a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general, special, or local law, rule, or regulation, any active member may apply for the tuition benefit provided by this section prior to matriculating at an institution.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2019 provided, however, that the amendments to section 669-b of the education law made by sections one and two of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02730-01-9
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 the recruitment incen- tive and retention program for members of the New York state organized militia, reducing the minimum required course load for part-time students and permitting application for the tuition benefit prior to matriculation
Purpose
To make improvements to the recruitment incentive and retention program for members of New York State's Militia.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends section 669-b of the education law to change the defi- nition of part time study from six to three semester hours and from four to two per quarter.
Section 2 adds a new subdivision 3-a to section 669-b of the education law by stating that any active member who applies for a tuition benefit may apply prior to matriculating as a student.
Section 3 is the effective date.
Justification
The recruitment and retention program has been widely successful in providing important benefits to those men and women serving as part of our State's Militia. However, there are inconsistencies in the law that sometimes make it impossible for an individual to take advantage of this benefit.
Lowering the number of classes an individual needs to take in order to qualify for this benefit will remove an artificial barrier and make it easier for these individuals to succeed. Further by giving individuals the opportunity to receive reimbursement for a class they take at a College or university they are not matriculated at will allow them to have a wider variety of options to take courses.
Legislative history
S. 7110 of 2018; Advanced to Third Reading
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
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.