ASSEMBLY, No. 2481

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 7, 1996

By Assemblymen MALONE, COTTRELL, Assemblywoman Heck, Assemblymen Kelly, Romano, DeSopo, Assemblywomen Allen, J. Smith, Assemblymen Garcia and Kavanaugh

An Act concerning postsecondary education and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. A person who is an active member of a volunteer fire company or volunteer first aid or rescue squad or association in good standing and the dependent children and spouse of a volunteer shall be allowed to enroll in a postsecondary program on a tuition-free basis in a county college, county vocational school or county technical institute and be eligible to receive tuition credit in an amount not to exceed $4,000; provided that available classroom space permits and that tuition paying students constitute the minimum number required for the course. Nothing herein shall preclude a county college, county vocational school or county technical institute from requiring registration and lab fees for individuals attending courses pursuant to this act.

    2. In order to be eligible to receive tuition credit at a county college, county vocational school or county technical institute, a person shall agree to serve as a member of a volunteer fire company or volunteer first aid or rescue squad or association for a minimum of four years and sign an agreement with the municipality in which the squad or association is located pledging four years of service in exchange for the tuition credit. Following each year of volunteer service performed, the volunteer or the spouse or dependent child shall be entitled to receive tuition credit of up to $1,000, not to exceed $4,000 over a four year service period.

    3. Upon being accepted and enrolled in a county college, county vocational school or county technical institute, the volunteer, dependent child or spouse shall provide verification to the institution that the volunteer has performed the service required for the tuition credit. Upon completion of each semester, the volunteer shall submit a transcript to the municipality to be maintained in a permanent record. The volunteer or the dependent child or spouse shall maintain a "C" grade average in order to continue eligibility for the tuition credit program.

    4. A municipality which chooses to participate in the tuition credit program shall issue a letter of eligibility to the volunteer, to be presented to the appropriate institution, stating that the individual is a member in good standing of a volunteer fire company, volunteer first aid or rescue squad or association.

    5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires county colleges, county vocational schools and county technical institutes to allow active members in good standing of a volunteer fire company, volunteer first aid or rescue squad or association, to enroll in a postsecondary program tuition-free on a space available basis and receive up to a maximum tuition credit of $4,000. Volunteers are required to register with the municipality in which the fire company, squad or association is located and sign an agreement pledging four years of volunteer service in exchange for the tuition credits. In addition, the volunteer is required to maintain a "C" grade in tuition credit classes and submit a copy of the transcript each semester to the municipality. Following each year of volunteer service performed, the individual or the dependent children or spouse of the volunteer may receive tuition credit of $1,000 up to a maximum of $4,000. In order to be eligible to receive the tuition credit, the volunteer has to verify to the institution that the service was performed by submitting a letter of eligibility provided by the participating municipality. The bill imposes a cap on the tuition credit earned of up to a maximum of $4,000 over four years. No cost is associated with the bill because the volunteers and their dependents or spouses attend on a space available basis after the minimum number of tuition paying students required for the course have registered.

Allows members of volunteer fire companies, first aid or rescue squads or association to earn tuition credit.