STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 970 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 10, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, LUPARDO, OTIS, LUPINACCI, SEAWRIGHT, GOTT- FRIED, CRESPO, JAFFEE, CAHILL, RA, BLAKE, WALKER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, ENGLEBRIGHT, HOOPER, SEPULVEDA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to creating the adult student grant program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 669-h 2 to read as follows: 3 § 669-h. The adult student grant program. 1. Purpose. The adult 4 student grant program is hereby created to provide financial aid grants 5 to adults returning to college or seeking career education and training. 6 2. Definitions. a. "Good academic standing" for the purposes of this 7 section means retaining a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or the 8 equivalent. 9 b. "Participating institution" for the purposes of this section means 10 any institution of higher education that is included in the University 11 of the State of New York as enumerated in section two hundred fourteen 12 of this title. 13 c. "Cost of attendance" shall mean tuition, required fees, laboratory 14 and other instruction related to expenses, books, transportation, and 15 room and board. 16 3. Eligibility. The adult student grant program shall be available to 17 those persons: 18 a. who are (i) a citizen of the United States, or (ii) an alien 19 lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, or (iii) 20 an individual of a class of refugees paroled by the attorney general of 21 the United States under his or her parole authority pertaining to the 22 admission of aliens to the United States; 23 b. who remain in good academic standing; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00973-01-7

A. 970 2 1 c. who attend a participating institution for at least three semester 2 hours; 3 d. who are not eligible for awards under sections six hundred sixty- 4 six, six hundred sixty-seven, or six hundred sixty-seven-c of this part; 5 and 6 e. who have been either a legal resident of the state for at least one 7 year immediately preceding the beginning of the semester, quarter or 8 term of attendance for which application for the adult student grant 9 program is made. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to 10 the contrary, the New York state residency eligibility requirement for 11 this program is waived for a member, or the spouse or dependent of a 12 member, of the armed forces of the United States on full-time active 13 duty and stationed in this state. 14 4. Grants. The annual adult student grants shall be for an amount up 15 to one thousand five hundred dollars or the cost of tuition, whichever 16 is less. In no event shall the amount of the annual grant exceed the 17 recipient's cost of attendance at the institution attended. The corpo- 18 ration shall provide such grants within the amounts appropriated for 19 such purpose and based on the availability of funds. A recipient shall 20 receive no more than six thousand dollars in adult student grants. 21 5. Priority. Priority will be given to applicants that demonstrate 22 financial need as determined by the corporation. 23 6. Rules. The corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regu- 24 lations, and may promulgate emergency regulations, for the necessary 25 implementation of the provisions of this section. 26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.