Read the full stored bill text
S3358
SENATE, No. 3358
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 5, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
���� Phases out State tuition aid grants for students
enrolled in proprietary institutions of higher education; redirects State
tuition aid grant funding for students enrolled in proprietary institutions to
summer tuition aid grant program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning State tuition aid grants, amending various
parts of the statutory law, and supplementing chapter 71B of Title 18A of the
New Jersey Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� N.J.S.18A:71B-18 is
amended to read as follows:
���� 18A:71B-18.� Grants Created;
Use.
���� There are hereby created State
tuition aid grants which shall be maintained by the State, awarded and
administered pursuant to this act, and used by the holders thereof for
undergraduate study in eligible institutions.
Notwithstanding the provisions
of N.J.S.18A:71B-1 to the contrary, as used in this article, �eligible
institution� means a county college, a public research university, a State
college, or an independent institution of higher education.
(cf: N.J.S.18A:71B-18)
���� 2.��� Section 1 of P.L.2016,
c.47 (C.18A:71B-19.1) is amended to read as follows:
���� 1.��� An
[
institution of
higher education and a proprietary degree-granting
]
eligible
institution
shall annually provide the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority with
detailed information on the graduation rates of State tuition aid grant
recipients.� In the case of a county college, the college shall also provide
the authority with the transfer rates of the State tuition aid grant
recipients.� An institution shall provide the information in
[
such
]
a
form
[
as
]
determined by
the authority.
���� The authority shall post the
information provided by each institution for public inspection on its website.
(cf: P.L.2016, c.47, s.1)
���� 3.��� Section 2 of P.L.2023,
c.34 (C.18A:71B-20a) is amended to read as follows:
���� 2. a. The authority shall
annually award summer tuition aid grants for eligible students pursuant to
N.J.S.18A:71B-20.� A summer tuition aid grant shall be applied toward the
tuition costs outside of the academic year, as defined in N.J.S.18A:71B-4.� The
receipt of a summer tuition aid grant shall not: (1) reduce the amount of a
tuition aid grant awarded to the student during the academic year; (2) be
included when determining the student's maximum tuition aid grant awards
pursuant to subsection b. of this section; or (3) otherwise adversely affect
the student's eligibility for an award under this chapter.
���� b.��� A summer tuition aid
grant shall be prorated against the full-time tuition aid grant awarded in the
preceding semester as follows: an eligible student enrolled with six to eight
credits shall receive one-half of the value of a full-time award, and an eligible
student enrolled with nine to 11 credits shall receive three-quarters of a
full-time award.
���� c.���� Summer tuition aid
grants awarded for the summer 2023 semester pursuant to this section shall be
funded by the appropriation made to the authority pursuant to section 3 of
P.L.2023, c.34 and any additional amounts as may be required from the
unexpended balance of funds previously awarded for tuition aid grants as of the
effective date of P.L.2023, c.34 (C.18A:71B-20 et al.).� The Legislature may
award funds in addition to those appropriated to the authority pursuant to
section 3 of P.L.2023, c.34 by a separate line item.
���� d.��� Summer tuition aid
grants awarded for the summer 2024 semester pursuant to this section shall be
funded by any amounts as may be required from the unexpended balance of funds
appropriated in fiscal year 2024 for the purpose of providing tuition aid grants
in the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters. The Legislature may appropriate
additional funds to the authority as may be necessary to fund summer tuition
aid grants awarded for the summer 2024 semester pursuant to this section by a
separate line item.
���� e.���� Beginning with the
summer 2025 semester, summer tuition aid grants awarded pursuant to this
section shall be funded by a separate line item in the annual appropriations
act
, except as otherwise permitted pursuant to subsection f. of this section
.
����
f.���� Beginning with the
2026-2027 academic year and each academic year thereafter, State tuition aid
grant funds, which are estimated by the authority to have otherwise been
awarded to students enrolled in proprietary institutions of higher education
prior to the enactment of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill), shall instead be appropriated to fund summer tuition
aid grants for students enrolled in eligible institutions.
(cf: P.L.2023, c.283, s.2)
���� 4. (New section)
Notwithstanding the provisions of any law or regulation to the contrary,
beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year, a State tuition aid grant for a
student enrolled in a proprietary institution licensed to award academic
degrees shall be limited to students who received an award prior to that
academic year. The student shall be eligible to receive a State tuition aid
grant for the number of academic years authorized pursuant to section b. of
N.J.S.18A:71B-20.
���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first apply to the 2026-2027 academic year.
STATEMENT
���� This bill phases out State
tuition aid grants for students enrolled in proprietary institutions of higher
education.
���� Under the bill, beginning with
the 2026-2027 academic year, a State tuition aid grant for a student enrolled
in a proprietary institution is to be limited to students who received an award
prior to that academic year. Students enrolled in a proprietary institution who
received an award prior to the 2026-2027 academic year are to continue to
receive an award until the student is no longer eligible.
���� Additionally, the bill
provides that beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year and each year
thereafter, funds which would have otherwise been awarded to students enrolled
in proprietary institutions prior to the enactment of the bill are to instead
be appropriated to fund summer tuition aid grants.