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S3245 2R
[Second Reprint]
SENATE, No. 3245
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 2, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Senator� ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Timberlake
SYNOPSIS
���� Revises high school student financial aid application
requirements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As amended by the Senate on June 18, 2026.
��
An Act
concerning high school students and financial
aid applications and amending P.L.2023, c.295.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
����
1
[
1.� Section 1
of P.L.2023, c.295 is amended to read as follows:
���� 1.��� a.� Beginning with the
2023-2024 grade 11 class,
[
and
for two school years thereafter,
]
a board of education or a board of trustees of a charter school shall require a
student, and the student�s parent or guardian, if applicable, to complete and
submit a financial aid application in a form prescribed by the Higher Education
Student Assistance Authority as a prerequisite to the student receiving a high
school diploma from a public high school or charter school unless a waiver is
submitted to the school district or charter school as set forth in subsection b.
of this section.
���� b.� (1) A student shall be
exempt from the requirement in subsection a. of this section if the student or
the student�s parent or guardian submits to the school district or charter
school a waiver form signed by the parent or guardian, or by the student if the
student is at least 18 years of age, requesting the exemption from the
requirement.
���� (2)� If the student is under
18 years of age and a form signed by the parent or guardian cannot be
reasonably obtained, the student�s school counselor may authorize the waiver as
permitted by regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education pursuant
to subsection h. of this section.
���� c. �The Executive Director of
the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, in consultation with the Commissioner
of Education, shall provide resources for school districts, charter schools,
parents, and students that include instructions on how to complete a financial
aid application prescribed by the authority. The resources shall include
webinars, presentations, guidance documents, and a list of available State and
federal resources. The executive director of the authority shall make available
such resources as are necessary directly to school counselors or other school
employees who shall share the resources with students and with the students�
parents or guardians.
���� d.� Each school district and
charter school shall annually notify students and the parents or guardians of
the requirement established pursuant to this section.
���� e.� No adverse action shall be
taken by a board of education or a board of trustees of a charter school
against any student due to a student�s receipt of an exemption from the
requirement to complete and submit a financial aid application pursuant to subsection
b. of this section.
���� f.� Nothing in this act shall
be construed as requiring school counselors, or any other school employee, to
assist students in completing the financial aid application. Nothing in this
act shall be construed as creating a private right of action against the school
district, charter school, or the State upon compliance or noncompliance with
the provisions of this act.
���� g.� The Executive Director of
the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall make the resources
listed in subsection c. of this section available to institutions of higher
education in order to facilitate the delivery of technical assistance to area
high schools.
���� h.� The State Board of
Education shall adopt, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968,
c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et 34 seq.), rules and regulations necessary to carry out the
provisions of this act.
���� i.� The executive director of
the authority shall prepare and issue to the Department of Education, and to
the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a
report that includes the number of students that completed a financial aid form
pursuant to subsection a. of this section, as well as the number of waivers
submitted to school districts or charter schools pursuant to subsection b. of
this section no later than three years following the effective date of this
act.
(cf: P.L.2023, c.295, s.1)
]
1
�����
1
1.� Section 1 of P.L.2023, c.295 is amended to read
as follows:
����� 1.
a. Beginning with the 2023-2024 grade 11 class,
[
and for two school years thereafter,
]
a board of education or a board of trustees of a
charter school shall require a student, and the student�s parent or guardian,
if applicable, to complete and submit a
2
State or federal
2
financial aid application in a form prescribed by
the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority as a prerequisite to the
student receiving a high school diploma from a public high school or charter
school unless a waiver is submitted to the school district or charter school as
set forth in subsection b. of this section.
����� b.
(1) A student shall be exempt from the requirement in subsection a. of this
section if the student or the student�s parent or guardian submits to the
school district or charter school a waiver form signed by the parent or
guardian, or by the student if the student is at least 18 years of age,
requesting the exemption from the requirement.
����� (2)
If the student is under 18 years of age and a form signed by the parent or
guardian cannot be reasonably obtained, the student�s school counselor may
authorize the waiver as permitted by regulations promulgated by the State Board
of Education pursuant to subsection h. of this section.
����� (3)
A waiver template or form developed by the Department of Education, a board of
education, or a board of trustees of a charter school for use pursuant to this
subsection shall require the student, parent or guardian, or school counselor,
as applicable, to provide only the student�s name, telephone number, email
address, date, and signature of the individual submitting the waiver.
����� c.�� The
Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, in
consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall provide resources for
school districts, charter schools, parents,
guardians,
and students that
include instructions on how to complete a
2
State or federal
2
financial aid application prescribed by the
authority.� The resources shall include webinars, presentations, guidance
documents, and a list of available State and federal resources.� The executive
director of the authority shall make available
[
such
]
resources as
are necessary directly to school counselors or other school employees who shall
share the resources with students and with the students� parents or guardians.
����� d.�� Each
school district and charter school shall annually notify students and the
parents or guardians of the requirement established pursuant to this section.
����� e.�� No
adverse action shall be taken by a board of education or a board of trustees of
a charter school against any student due to a student�s receipt of an exemption
from the requirement to complete and submit a
2
State or federal
2
financial
aid application pursuant to subsection b. of this section.
����� f.��� Nothing
in this
[
act
]
section
shall be construed as requiring
school counselors, or any other school employee, to assist students in
completing the
2
State or federal
2
financial aid application.� Nothing in this
[
act
]
section
shall be construed as creating a private right of action against the school
district, charter school, or the State upon compliance or noncompliance with
the provisions of this
[
act
]
section
.�
����� g.�� The
Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall
make the resources listed in subsection c. of this section available to
institutions of higher education in order to facilitate the delivery of
technical assistance to area high schools.
����� h.�� The
State Board of Education shall adopt, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure
Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary to
carry out the provisions of this
[
act
]
section
.
����� i.��� The
executive director of the authority shall
annually
prepare and issue to
the Department of Education, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report that includes the number of students
that completed a
2
State or federal
2
financial aid form pursuant to subsection a. of
this section, as well as the number of waivers submitted to school districts or
charter schools pursuant to subsection b. of this section
[
no later than three years following the effective
date of this act
]
.
����� j.
(1) Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school
district or charter school shall not use or disclose any waiver, or any
personal information contained within a waiver, submitted pursuant to
subsection b. of this section for any purpose without the informed consent of
the student or the student�s parent or guardian consistent with applicable
federal and State-level protections of student educational records, including,
but not limited to, the �Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974,�
(20 U.S.C. s.1232g); provided, however nothing in this section shall be
construed to prohibit, or in any way restrict, any action that is consistent
with federal law.
����� (2)� The
Department of Education shall include language consistent with paragraph (1) of
this subsection on any optional waiver template developed by the department for
use by a school district or charter school in connection with subsection b. of
this section.� The language shall be located in a prominent location on the
waiver developed by the department.
����� (3)� A
school district or charter school that uses a waiver developed by the district
or charter school in connection with subsection b. of this section shall
include language consistent with paragraph (1) of this subsection in a
prominent location on the waiver.
����� k.�� Nothing
contained in
[
P.L.2025, c.95
]
this section
shall be construed to
invalidate a waiver submitted pursuant to this section prior to the effective
date of P.L.2025, c.95.� A waiver submitted prior to the effective date of
P.L.2025, c.95 shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph (1) of subsection
j. of this section.
1
(cf:
P.L.2025, c.95, s.1)
���� 2. This act shall take effect
immediately.