Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Greenstein
SYNOPSIS
Provides tuition fee waiver apprenticeship courses.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
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. 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 regularly-scheduled courses at any public institution of higher education or county vocational school and to receive a certification of completion of a registered apprenticeship as defined in section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) tuition-free if:
(1) the person has been in the labor workforce for at least six months;
(2) tuition costs are not covered by an employer through employment benefits;
(3) the person completes a Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year within the established deadlines and has exhausted all financial aid assistance; and
(4) the person 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.
STATEMENT
This bill requires public institutions of higher education to waive the tuition fees of apprenticeship courses for eligible persons whose gross aggregate household income is below the State’s median annual income.
Under the bill, an eligible person is 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 is below the State household median income.
Also under the bill, a person is eligible for tuition fee waiver if: (1) the person has been in the labor workforce for at least six months; (2) tuition costs are not covered by the employer through employment benefits; (3) the person completes a Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year and has exhausted all financial aid assistance; and (4) the person maintains satisfactory academic progress to qualify for renewal of the tuition waiver.