SENATE, No. 1283

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED JUNE 3, 1996

By Senator EWING and CAFIERO

An Act concerning attendance at public institutions of higher education 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.    No male born after December 31, 1959, shall be eligible to receive any State supported loan, grant, or scholarship, for attendance at any public institution of higher education unless he has filed a statement of selective service status with the institution of higher education.

    2.    The statement of selective service shall certify one of the following:

    a.    That the male filing the statement has registered with the selective service system in accordance with the “Military Selective Service Act,” 50 U.S.C. App. 453, as amended;

    b.    That the male filing the statement is not required to register with the selective service system for one of the following reasons:

    i.     He is under eighteen or over twenty-six years of age;

    ii.    He is on active duty with the armed forces of the United States other than for training in a reserve or national guard unit;

    iii. He is a nonimmigrant alien lawfully in the United States in accordance with the section 101(a) (15) of the “Immigration and Nationality Act,” 8 U.S.C.1101, as amended;

    iv. He is not a citizen of the United States and is a permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or the Northern Mariana Islands.

    3.    The Commission on Higher Education shall, by regulation, specify the form of statements of selective service status to be filed with the institution of higher education. Each statement of selective service status shall contain a section where a male student certifies that he has registered with the selective service system and a space for the student to record the selective service number he was assigned. For those students not required to register with the selective service, a section shall be provided on the statement of selective service status for the certification of nonregistration and for an explanation of the reason for the exemption. The commission may require that such statements be accompanied by documentation specified by the commission.

    4. A public institution of higher education, the Office of Student Assistance and the Higher Education Assistance Authority shall not make or guarantee any loan, grant, or scholarship, or other State supported financial assistance for educational expenses for attendance at a public institution of higher education unless the student has filed a statement of selective service status with the institution of higher education.

    5.    If an institution of higher education receives a statement from an individual certifying that he has registered with the selective service system in accordance with the “Military Selective Service Act,” 50 U.S.C. App. 453, as amended or that he is exempt from registration for a reason other than he is under 18 years of age, the institution shall not require the individual to file any further statements. If the institution receives a statement certifying that the individual is not required to register because he is under eighteen years of age , the institution shall require the individual to file a new statement of selective service status each time he seeks to enroll for a new academic term or applies for a new loan or loan guarantee or for any form of financial assistance for educational expenses, until it receives a statement certifying that the individual has registered with the selective service system or is exempt from registration for a reason other than he is under eighteen years of age.

    6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires that males who are required to register with the military selective service pursuant to the “Military Selective Service Act,”50 U.S.C. App. 453 will not be eligible to receive any loan, scholarship or tuition assistance supported by the State for attendance at any public institution of higher education until registered. The bill provides that the Commission on Higher Education, by regulation, specify the form of the statements of selective service status. Currently, under the federal “Military Selective Service Act,”any person who fails to register under the act is denied any grant, loan, or work assistance for educational expenses under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Prohibits males from receiving State financial aid for college attendance.