Requires undergraduate students to file degree plan and requires institutions of higher education and certain propriety institutions to develop pathway systems to graduation.

A2359

ASSEMBLY, No. 2359

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires undergraduate students to file degree plan
and requires institutions of higher education and certain propriety
institutions to develop pathway systems to graduation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
concerning college degree completion and supplementing
chapter
3B

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.�� As used in this act:

���� �Degree plan� means a
statement of the course of study requirements that an undergraduate student
enrolled in an institution of higher education or a proprietary institution
must complete to graduate from the institution.

���� �Proprietary institution�
means a proprietary institution licensed to offer academic degrees.

���� b.��� Except as otherwise
provided in subsection c. of this section, an undergraduate student enrolled in
a four-year institution of higher education shall file a degree plan with the
institution as soon as practicable, but not later than by the completion of 60
credit hours of course work.�

���� c.���� A four-year institution
of higher education shall develop a process for undergraduate students who
transfer to the institution with at least 45 credit hours of course work to
develop and file a degree plan with the institution during the student�s second
semester at the institution.

���� d.��� A degree-seeking
undergraduate student enrolled in a county college or proprietary institution
shall file a degree plan with the institution as soon as practicable, but not
later than by the completion of 30 credit hours of course work.

���� e.���� An institution of
higher education or proprietary institution shall provide notice to a student
who selects a new academic major or minor, or who experiences such other change
in circumstance as defined by the institution, that the student shall file a
revised degree plan with the institution as soon as practicable.

���� f.���� A degree plan filed
pursuant to this section shall:

���� (1)�� be developed in
consultation with an appropriate academic official in the student�s degree
program, or if an appropriate academic official is not available in the
student�s degree program, an appropriate academic official at the institution;
and

���� (2)�� follow a pathway to a
degree as required pursuant to section 2 of this act to the extent practicable.

���� 2.��� a.�� An institution of
higher education or a proprietary institution shall:

���� (1)�� develop a pathway system
whereby the institution establishes graduation progress benchmarks for each
academic major and for the general education program for students who have not
declared a major;

���� (2)�� require the pathway for
each first-time degree-seeking student to include credit-bearing mathematics
and English courses that are applicable towards degree requirements in the
first 24 credit hours of course work completed at the institution of higher
education or proprietary institution; and

���� (3)�� require the pathway for
each degree-seeking student enrolled in a remedial course in mathematics,
reading, or English to include the credit-bearing course in mathematics,
reading, or English concurrent with or in the semester immediately following
completion of the remedial course.

���� b.��� (1)�� The graduation
progress benchmarks established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of
this section shall specify the credit and course criteria that indicate
satisfactory progress toward a degree.

���� (2)�� The academic departments
of an institution of higher education or a proprietary institution shall
establish schedules for regular periodic reviews of student progress.

���� (3)�� A student who is in
danger of falling behind the graduation progress benchmarks shall be required
to consult with an appropriate academic official.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the first class of students
entering
an
institution of higher
education
or proprietary institution
following
the effective date of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires
undergraduate students enrolled in four-year institutions of higher education
to file a degree plan with the institution. An undergraduate student enrolled
in a four-year institution would be required to file a degree plan as soon as
practicable, but not later than by the completion of 60 credit hours of course
work.� An undergraduate student who transfers to a four-year institution with
at least 45 credit hours of course work would be required to file a degree plan
during the student�s second semester at the institution.

���� The bill requires
degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in county colleges or
proprietary institutions to file a degree plan as soon as practicable, but not
later than by the completion of 30 credit hours of course work.�

���� The bill also requires an
institution of higher education or proprietary institution to provide notice to
a student who selects a new academic major or minor, or who experiences such
other change in circumstance as defined by the institution, that the student
shall file a revised degree plan with the institution as soon as practicable.

���� The bill defines �degree plan�
as a statement of the course of study requirements that an undergraduate
student enrolled in an institution of higher education or a proprietary
institution must complete in order to graduate from the institution.� A
student�s degree plan must be developed in consultation with an appropriate
academic official in the student�s degree program, or if such official is not
available, with an appropriate academic official at the institution. The degree
plan must follow a pathway to a degree to the extent practicable.

���� The bill defines a
�proprietary institution� as a proprietary institution licensed to offer
academic degrees.

���� In addition, the bill requires
institutions of higher education and proprietary institutions to develop
pathway systems that establish graduation progress benchmarks for each academic
major and for the general education program for students who have not declared
a major.� The pathway for each first-time degree-seeking student must include
credit-bearing mathematics and English courses that are applicable towards
degree requirements in the first 24 credit hours of course work completed at
the institution of higher education or proprietary institution.� The pathway
for each degree-seeking student enrolled in a remedial course in mathematics,
reading, or English must include the credit-bearing course in that subject
concurrent with or in the semester immediately following completion of the
remedial course.

����� Under the bill, the
graduation progress benchmarks established by an institution of higher
education or proprietary institution must specify the credit and course
criteria that indicate satisfactory progress toward a degree. Academic
departments at the institution must establish schedules for periodic reviews of
student progress, and students who are in danger of falling behind the
graduation progress benchmarks will be required to consult with an appropriate
academic official.