Bill Text: NJ S83 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "New Jersey G.I. Bill"; provides higher education benefits to New Jersey veterans.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S83 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S83-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY R. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Senator NILSA CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
"New Jersey G.I. Bill"; provides higher education benefits to New Jersey veterans.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning higher education benefits for veterans and supplementing chapter 62 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New Jersey G.I. Bill."
2. For the purposes of this act:
"Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71A-3.
"Prisoner of war" and "person missing in action" means any person who was a resident of this State at the time he entered service of the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, the National Guard, or a Reserve component of the National Guard, or whose official residence is within this State, and who, while serving has been declared to be a prisoner of war, or to be a person missing in action.
"Program" means the "New Jersey G.I. Bill Program" established pursuant to section 3 of this act.
"Public institution of higher education" means Rutgers, The State University, Rowan University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the State colleges, the county colleges, and any other public university or college now or hereafter established or authorized by law.
"Spouse" means the spouse of a veteran who was killed in the line of duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, the National Guard, or a Reserve component of the National Guard or the spouse of a veteran who has been officially listed as a prisoner of war or person missing in action by the United States Department of Defense.
"Student fee" means any amount, other than tuition, which appears on a student tuition bill as a separately assessed item and which is a mandatory charge of the institution.
"Veteran" means any citizen and resident of this State who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, the National Guard, or a Reserve component of the National Guard and who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service.
3. a. There is hereby created the "New Jersey G.I. Bill Program." It shall be the purpose of the program to help meet the education and retraining needs of the State's veterans who have, on or after September 11, 2001, served the State and nation on active duty including, but not limited to, service in Operation "Enduring Freedom" and Operation "Iraqi Freedom." The program shall also assist the spouse of a veteran who was killed in the line of duty or is listed as a person missing in action or as a prisoner of war.
b. It shall be the duty of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to administer the program.
c. A veteran or spouse shall be eligible to participate in the program provided that:
(1) the veteran was a resident of the State at the time of entry into active duty;
(2) the veteran or spouse is a resident of, and living in, the State at the time of application to the program;
(3) the veteran or spouse has been accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate or graduate study at a public institution of higher education and is enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in good standing at that institution; and
(4) the veteran or spouse has applied for all available State student grants and scholarships and all available federal student grants and scholarships for which he is eligible.
d. Eligibility for the program, in the case of a veteran, shall be limited to a period of 15 years from the date of discharge from military service for initial receipt of benefits under the program.
Eligibility for the program, in the case of a spouse, shall be limited to a period of 10 years from the date of death of the veteran for initial receipt of benefits under the program, or 10 years from the date the veteran was classified as a person missing in action or as a prisoner of war.
e. A veteran or spouse may apply to the authority to verify eligibility for the program in such a manner as the authority prescribes and shall include all information and documentation required by the authority.
4. a. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, in consultation with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, shall develop a procedure for the determination of eligibility for the program, including a method for verifying military service and residency.
Upon approval of a program application, the authority shall notify the veteran or spouse and the public institution of higher education at which the applicant is enrolled of eligibility.
b. The authority shall identify all student fees charged by public institutions of higher education and shall establish a list of student fees which shall be waived, pursuant to subsection d. of section 6 of this act, for a veteran and spouse who is eligible for the
program.
5. a. A county college shall charge a tuition fee that shall not exceed $50 per academic credit for up to 16 credits per semester, and up to a maximum benefit of the total number of credits necessary to complete an associate's degree as determined by the authority, for an eligible veteran or eligible spouse enrolled in an associate's degree program at the college.
b. A public four-year institution of higher education shall charge a tuition fee that shall not exceed $50 per academic credit for up to 16 credits per semester, and up to a maximum benefit of the total number of credits necessary to complete a baccalaureate degree as determined by the authority, for an eligible veteran or eligible spouse enrolled in an initial baccalaureate degree program at the institution. In the event that an eligible veteran or eligible spouse enrolled in a public four-year institution of higher education previously received a benefit under the program while enrolled in a county college, the number of credits received from the county college shall be deducted from the total maximum benefit available at the public four-year institution of higher education.
c. A public institution of higher education shall charge a tuition fee that shall not exceed $50 per academic credit for up to 16 credits per semester, and up to a maximum benefit of the total number of credits necessary to complete a graduate degree as determined by the authority, for an eligible veteran or eligible spouse enrolled in an initial graduate degree program at the institution.
d. A public institution of higher education shall grant full remission of those student fees which have been determined by the authority to be included within the program benefits for each eligible veteran or eligible spouse enrolled at the institution.
e. The State shall reimburse a public institution of higher education for the cost of tuition and student fees which have been remitted for each eligible veteran and eligible spouse enrolled at the institution.
6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to require a four-year public institution of higher education to admit a student eligible for the New Jersey G.I. Bill Program or to waive its admission standards and application procedures.
7. The authority shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), which are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
8. This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first apply to the 2016-2017 academic year.
STATEMENT
This bill, which is designated as the "New Jersey G.I. Bill," establishes the "New Jersey G.I. Bill Program" to provide higher education benefits to New Jersey veterans who served active duty on or after September 11, 2001 as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the National Guard, or a Reserve component of the Armed Forces or National Guard. The bill also provides assistance to the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the National Guard, or a Reserve component of the Armed Forces or National Guard who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 and who was killed in the line of duty or is listed as a person missing in action or as a prisoner of war. The program will be administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA).
Under the bill, a veteran or spouse can apply to HESAA to determine eligibility for the "New Jersey G.I. Bill Program." A veteran, or spouse, is eligible for the program if:
(1) the veteran was a resident of the State at the time of entry into active duty;
(2) the veteran or spouse is a resident of, and living in, the State at the time of application to the program;
(3) the veteran or spouse has been accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate or graduate study at a public institution of higher education and is enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in good standing at that institution; and
(4) the veteran or spouse has applied for all available State student grants and scholarships and all available federal student grants and scholarships for which he is eligible.
The bill directs HESAA to develop, in consultation with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, a procedure for determining an applicant's eligibility. HESAA is also charged with reviewing student fees applied at public institutions of higher education and establishing a list of student fees that will be included within the program's benefits.
The bill caps the amount of tuition that a public institution of higher education can charge an eligible veteran or eligible spouse at $50 per academic credit. Under the bill, eligible veterans and eligible spouses can receive the reduced tuition rate for a maximum benefit equal to the total number of credits necessary to complete the degree program in which he is enrolled, as determined by HESAA. The bill also directs public institutions of higher education to waive certain student fees for program participants. The bill directs the State to reimburse a public institution of higher education for the cost of tuition and student fees which have been waived for each eligible veteran and eligible spouse enrolled at the institution.
