Provides tuition benefits at public institutions of higher education to New Jersey residents who are members of reserve component of Armed Forces of United States.

A4192

ASSEMBLY, No. 4192

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides tuition benefits at public institutions of
higher education to New Jersey residents who are members of reserve component
of Armed Forces of United States.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning tuition benefits for members of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces of the United States and amending P.L.1999, c.46
and P.L.2005, c.317.

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

���� 1.��� Section 20 of P.L.1999,
c.46 (C.18A:62-23) is amended to read as follows:

���� 20.� As used in sections 20-25
of
[
this
act,
]

P.L.1999,
c.46 (C.18A:62-23 through 18A:62-28)
:

���� "Initial Active Duty
Training" means Basic Military Training, for members of the New Jersey Air
National Guard, and Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, for
members of the New Jersey Army National Guard
, or the equivalent training
for members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States
.

����
�Member of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces of the United States� means a person who is a
resident of New Jersey and is a member of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve,
Marine Reserve, Air Force Reserve, or Coast Guard Reserve.

(cf: P.L.1999, c.46, s.20)

���� 2.��� Section 21 of P.L.1999,
c.46 (C.18A:62-24) is amended to read as follows:

���� 21.� a.� Any member of the New
Jersey National Guard
and any member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces
of the United States
shall be permitted to attend regularly-scheduled
courses at any public institution of higher education in this State enumerated
in N.J.S.18A:62-1 and receive up to 16 credits per semester tuition-free
provided that:

���� (1)�� the member has completed
Initial Active Duty Training and, except as otherwise provided pursuant to
subsection c. of this section, is in good standing as an active member of the
New Jersey National Guard,
or is a member in good standing of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces of the United States
;

���� (2)�� the member has been
accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study and is enrolled as an
undergraduate student in good standing at that institution or a course of
graduate study and is enrolled as a graduate student in good standing at that
institution;

���� (3)�� the member has applied
for all available State student grants and scholarships and all available
federal student grants and scholarships for which the member is eligible; and

���� (4)��
as applicable
,
the member has applied for tuition benefits available through the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs for which the member is eligible under the
"Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008,"
Pub.L.110-252 (38 U.S.C. s.3301 et seq.), except that such application shall
not be required in the case of a tuition benefit transfer by the member as
permitted by federal law,
or has applied for federal tuition benefits available
to members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States
.

���� b.��� The State shall
reimburse a public institution of higher education for the tuition cost of each
National Guard member
and of each member of a reserve component of the Armed
Forces of the United States
who enrolls in the institution pursuant to the
provisions of this section to the extent that the tuition cost is not paid
through tuition benefits available to the member through the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs under the "Post-9/11 Veterans Educational
Assistance Act of 2008," Pub.L.110-252 (38 U.S.C. s.3301 et seq.)
, or
available under a federal tuition assistance program for members of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces of the United States
.

���� c.���� Any member of the New
Jersey National Guard
or any member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces
of the United States
whose enrollment in a public institution of higher
education on a tuition-free basis pursuant to subsection a. of this section is
interrupted by a deployment to active duty shall be permitted to receive the
free tuition benefit after discharge from service under conditions other than
dishonorable.� In the event of a non-medical discharge or a medical discharge
that is not caused by an illness or injury related to the performance of duties
for the National Guard
or for a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the
United States
, eligibility for the free tuition benefit shall begin from
the date of discharge and shall continue for one semester or a period of time
equal to the length of the deployment, whichever is longer.� In the event of
medical discharge or medical retirement as a result of illness or injury
incurred in the combat theater, as a result of terrorist action, or in the
response to a natural disaster, eligibility for the free tuition benefit shall
begin from the date of discharge or retirement and shall continue until
completion of the degree program in which enrolled or for five years, whichever
occurs first.

(cf: P.L.2009, c.208, s.1)

���� 3.��� Section 22 of P.L.1999,
c.46 (C.18A:62-25) is amended to read as follows:

���� 22.� Any child or surviving
spouse of a member of the New Jersey National Guard
and any resident of New
Jersey who is a child or surviving spouse of a member of a reserve component of
the Armed Forces of the United States
who heretofore completed Initial
Active Duty Training, and was killed in the performance of his duties while on
active duty with the New Jersey National Guard
or while on active duty with
a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States
, or who
hereafter completes Initial Active Duty Training and is killed in the
performance of his duties while a member of the New Jersey National Guard,
or
is killed in the performance of his duties as a member of a reserve component
of the Armed Forces of the United States
, shall be permitted to attend
regularly-scheduled courses at any public institution of higher education in
this State enumerated in N.J.S.18A:62-1 and receive up to 16 credits per
semester tuition-free provided that:

���� a.���� the child or spouse has
been accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study and is enrolled as an
undergraduate student in good standing at that institution or a course of
graduate study and is enrolled as a graduate student in good standing at that institution;

���� b.��� the child or spouse has
applied for all available State student grants and scholarships and all
available federal student grants and scholarships for which the child or spouse
is eligible;

���� c.����
as applicable,

the child or spouse has applied for tuition benefits available through the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs for which the child or spouse is
eligible under the "Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of
2008," Pub.L.110-252 (38 U.S.C. s.3301 et seq.)
or has applied for
federal tuition benefits available under a tuition assistance program of a
reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States
; and

���� d.��� available classroom
space permits and tuition-paying students constitute the minimum number
required for the course.

(cf: P.L.2009, c.208, s.2)

���� 4.��� Section 1 of P.L.2005,
c.317 (C.18A:62-24.1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� No public institution of
higher education in this State shall impose a nonresident tuition rate or
differential fee on a member of the New Jersey National Guard
or a member of
a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States
, if the member
meets the criteria set forth in section 21 of P.L.1999,
c.46 (C.18A:62-24).

(cf: P.L.2005, c.317, s.1)

���� 5.��� Section 2 of P.L.2005,
c.317 (C.18A:62-25.1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� No public institution of
higher education in this State shall impose a nonresident tuition rate or
differential fee on a child or surviving spouse of a member of the New Jersey
National Guard
or a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the
United States
, if the child or surviving spouse meets the criteria set
forth in section 22 of P.L.1999, c.46 (C.18A:62-25).

(cf: P.L.2005, c.317, s.2)

���� 6.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the academic year following
enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill provides tuition
benefits at public institutions of higher education in this State to New Jersey
residents who are members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the
United States and to certain children and surviving spouses of those members.

���� Under current law, a member of
the New Jersey National Guard is permitted to attend regularly-scheduled
courses at a public institution of higher education and receive up to 16
credits per semester tuition-free. The law also provides a tuition benefit to a
child or surviving spouse of a member of the National Guard who was or is
killed in the performance of his or her duties, if available classroom space
permits and the tuition-paying students constitute the minimum number required
for the course.

���� This bill amends current law
to extend these tuition benefits to a member of a reserve component of the
Armed Forces of the United States who is a resident of New Jersey, and to a
child or surviving spouse of such a member of the reserves who was or is killed
in the performance of his or her duties.� The bill requires the child or
surviving spouse to be a resident of New Jersey for the tuition benefits to
apply.

���� For purposes of the bill, the
reserve components of the Armed Forces of the United States include the Army
Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Reserve, Air Force Reserve, and Coast Guard
Reserve.

���� The bill takes effect
immediately upon enactment and is first applicable to the academic year
following enactment.