ASSEMBLY, No. 4655
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED OCTOBER 22, 2018
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN ARMATO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Benson, Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson, Assemblymen Danielsen, Space, Wirths, Assemblywoman DiMaso, Assemblymen Karabinchak, Johnson and Assemblywoman Murphy
SYNOPSIS
Provides tuition fee waiver apprenticeship courses.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Labor Committee on May 16, 2019, with amendments.
An Act concerning apprenticeship tuition fees 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. As used in this act:
“Eligible person” means an individual whose gross aggregate household income at the time of admission to a New Jersey public institution of higher education or county vocational school providing post-secondary vocational education is below the State household median income.
"Gross aggregate household income" means the total annual income of all members of a household, from whatever source derived, including, but not limited to, pension, annuity, retirement and Social Security benefits received during the taxable year.
“Registered apprenticeship” means an apprenticeship in a program providing to each trainee combined classroom and on-the-job training under the direct and close supervision of a highly skilled worker in an occupation recognized as an apprenticeable trade, and registered by the Office of Apprenticeship of the United States Department of Labor and meeting the standards established by that office.
“State household median income” means the point that divides the gross aggregate household income distribution into halves, one-half with income above the median and the other with income below the median 1as determined by the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey1. The median is based on the income distribution of all households, including those with no income in the State.
“Tuition” means the charges imposed by a New Jersey public institution of higher education or county vocational school providing post-secondary vocational education for enrollment at the institution or school.
2. a. An eligible person shall be permitted to attend 1[regularly-scheduled] , tuition-free,1 courses 1available1 at any public institution of higher education or county vocational school 1[and to receive a certification of completion] which are qualified to serve as the classroom training or education component1 of a registered apprenticeship 1[as defined in section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) tuition-free] program in which the person is participating as a registered apprentice1 if:
(1) 1[the person has been in the labor workforce for at least six months;
(2)]1 tuition costs are not covered by an employer through employment benefits;
1[(3)] (2)1 the person completes a Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year within the established deadlines and has exhausted all financial aid assistance; and
1[(4)] (3)1 the person 1retains employment as an active registered apprentice under the registered apprenticeship program and1 maintains satisfactory academic progress to qualify for renewal of the tuition waiver.
b. The State shall reimburse a public institution of higher education or county vocational school for the tuition cost of each eligible person who enrolls in the institution pursuant to the provisions of this section.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following the date of enactment.