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A1625 • 2026

Prohibits institution of higher education from establishing scholarship fund or student assistance program limited to students who are citizens or permanent residents of country or territory controlled by terrorist organization.

Prohibits institution of higher education from establishing scholarship fund or student assistance program limited to students who are citizens or permanent residents of country or territory controlled by terrorist organization.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Kean, Sean T.
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Prohibits institution of higher education from establishing scholarship fund or student assistance program limited to students who are citizens or permanent residents of country or territory controlled by terrorist organization.

Prohibits institution of higher education from establishing scholarship fund or student assistance program limited to students who are citizens or permanent residents of country or territory controlled by terrorist organization.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits institution of higher education from establishing scholarship fund or student assistance program limited to students who are citizens or permanent residents of country or territory controlled by terrorist organization.
  • Topic: Higher Education Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee

Official Summary Text

Prohibits institution of higher education from establishing scholarship fund or student assistance program limited to students who are citizens or permanent residents of country or territory controlled by terrorist organization.
Topic:
Higher Education
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A1625

ASSEMBLY, No. 1625

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Flynn, Assemblymen Scharfenberger, McGuckin,
Azzariti Jr. and Auth

SYNOPSIS

���� Prohibits institution of higher education from
establishing scholarship fund or student assistance program limited to students
who are citizens or permanent residents of country or territory controlled by
terrorist organization.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning institutional scholarships and
financial aid 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.� An institution of
higher education shall not establish any scholarship fund or student assistance
program that is only available to students enrolled in the institution who are
citizens or permanent residents of a country or territory that is controlled by
a foreign terrorist organization as designated by the United States Secretary
of State pursuant to 8 U.S.C. s.1189.

���� b.� Notwithstanding the
provisions of any other law to the contrary, an institution that violates the
provisions of this section shall be prohibited from receiving:

���� (1) State operating aid;

���� (2) the proceeds of
State-supported revenue bonds that are issued by the New Jersey Educational
Facilities Authority;

���� (3) the proceeds of State
general obligation bonds; or

���� (4) funds awarded to a student
enrolled in the institution and distributed through any State student
assistance or scholarship program administered by the Higher Education Student
Assistance Authority.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill prohibits an
institution of higher education from establishing a scholarship fund or student
assistance program that is only available to students enrolled in the
institution who are citizens or permanent residents of a country or territory
that is controlled by a foreign terrorist organization, as designated by the
United States Secretary of State.

���� An institution that violates
the provisions of the bill is prohibited from receiving: State operating aid;
the proceeds of State-supported revenue bonds that are issued by the New Jersey
Educational Facilities Authority; the proceeds of State general obligation
bonds; or funds awarded to a student enrolled in the institution and
distributed through any State student assistance or scholarship program
administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.

���� The bill is in response to
encampments on the lawns of Voorhees Mall at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
by students demanding various actions from the institution in response to the
Israel-Hamas conflict. One of the demands requested by the students was, �the
acceptance of at least 10 displaced Gazan students to study at Rutgers
University on scholarship.� The institution reached an agreement with the
student group, agreeing to meet 8 out of 10 of the demands, including the
acceptance of the Gazan students, in return for an end to the encampment.