Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman YVONNE LOPEZ
District 19 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Speight
SYNOPSIS
Requires parent to provide completed financial aid application to Higher Education Student Assistance Authority if parent’s dependent applies to State for student financial aid.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning eligibility for student financial aid and supplementing chapter 71B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. In the event that a student who is enrolled in or planning to enroll in an institution of higher education in the State is considered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to be a dependent of his parent, and the student seeks to apply for any student financial aid programs offered by the federal or State government, the student’s parent shall provide the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority with a completed financial aid application.
b. Each institution of higher education shall notify the executive director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority of all students who report that their parent has refused to provide information to complete a financial aid application in accordance with subsection a. of this section. The executive director shall send written notification to those parents that failure to submit a completed financial aid application on behalf of a dependent will result in the assessment of a civil penalty pursuant to subsection c. of this section.
c. Any person who willfully fails to disclose information required pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $500 which shall be collected in proceedings in accordance with the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
d. (1) Any civil penalty collected pursuant to subsection c. of this section shall be conveyed to the authority to transfer to the student’s account at the institution of higher education at which the student is enrolled or is planning to enroll.
(2) In the event that a student does not enroll, or is no longer enrolled, at an institution of higher education at the time a civil penalty is collected pursuant to subsection c. of this section, the civil penalty shall be made available to the authority for the purposes of student assistance programs administered by the authority.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that in the event that a student who is enrolled in or planning to enroll in an institution of higher education in the State is considered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to be a dependent of his parent, and the student seeks to apply for any student financial aid programs offered by the federal or State government, the student’s parent must provide the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority with a completed financial aid application. The bill requires an institution of higher education to notify the executive director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority of all students who report that their parent has refused to provide information to complete a financial aid application. The executive director is also required to send written notification to those parents that failure to submit a completed financial aid application on behalf of a dependent will result in the assessment of a civil penalty.
Under the bill, any person who willfully fails to disclose information required pursuant to the bill’s provisions will be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $500, to be collected in proceedings in accordance with the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The bill further provides that any such civil penalty collected will be conveyed to the authority to transfer to the student’s account at the institution of higher education at which the student is enrolled or is planning to enroll. In the event that a student does not enroll, or is no longer enrolled, at an institution of higher education at the time a civil penalty is collected, the civil penalty will be made available to the authority for the purposes of student assistance programs administered by the authority.