Expands Tuition Aid Grant program to part-time undergraduates; establishes New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program.

S4535

SENATE, No. 4535

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED JUNE 28, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� TROY SINGLETON

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Expands Tuition Aid Grant program to part-time
undergraduates; establishes New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and
Equity Pilot Program.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning
student aid in higher education, amending various parts of the statutory law,
and supplementing chapter 71B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and
P.L.1994, c.48 (C.18A:3B-1 et seq.).�

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

���� 1. N.J.S.18A:71B-20 is amended
to read as follows:

���� 18A:71B-20. a. A State tuition
aid grant shall be awarded annually to each eligible, qualified full-time
undergraduate student enrolled in a curriculum leading to a degree or
certificate in an eligible institution, or in an institution of higher
education in another state, provided that state permits its residents to
utilize its state student financial assistance grants in New Jersey
institutions of higher education through reciprocity agreements approved by the
authority.� In no event shall a State tuition aid grant be utilized at an
out-of-State institution which is not licensed by that state and accredited by
a regional accrediting association recognized by a national accrediting
organization.�
A State tuition aid grant shall also be awarded annually to
each eligible, qualified part-time undergraduate student enrolled in a
curriculum leading to a degree or certificate in an eligible institution in New
Jersey.

���� b.��� To each New Jersey
resident enrolled as a full-time student, except as otherwise provided in
subsection d. of this section, and meeting the other requirements for
eligibility under this chapter
and to each New Jersey resident enrolled as a
part-time student
, the State shall grant an amount as provided in
N.J.S.18A:71B-21.� A student shall not be eligible for a grant unless the
application is in a form satisfactory to the authority.� A student shall not be
eligible for grants for more than four and one-half academic years, unless the
recipient is enrolled in an undergraduate program regularly requiring five
academic years for completion, in which case the authority shall permit five
and one-half years of eligibility.� Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, a
student receiving aid under the provisions of P.L.1968, c.142 (C.18A:71-28 et
seq.) shall be entitled to a sixth year of eligibility.� Notwithstanding the
foregoing provisions, a county college student who transfers to a four-year
institution, or any student who is required to pursue 18 or more credit hours
in a remedial or developmental curriculum, as defined by regulations adopted by
the authority, is entitled to an additional half year of eligibility.� For the
purpose of this article, a remedial curriculum shall include only noncredit
courses in which a student is directed to enroll by the institution.�
Eligibility for tuition aid grants
[
may
]

shall
be extended
to part-time students through regulations developed by the authority
[
if
funds are separately appropriated for this purpose
]
.
Each period of
part-time award status shall be counted toward the maximum allowable period of
student eligibility as one-half of the maximum allowable period of full-time
student eligibility.
�� A student shall not be eligible for grants unless
the student maintains such minimum standards of academic performance as are
required by the institution of enrollment.� A student who is enrolled in a
course leading to a degree in theology or divinity shall not be eligible for a
tuition aid grant.

���� c.���� A person shall not be
awarded a State tuition aid grant unless that person:

���� (1)�� satisfies the residency
and other requirements provided in article 1 of this part;

���� (2)�� has applied for State
tuition aid and has been determined by the authority to be eligible for the
tuition aid;

���� (3)�� has demonstrated
financial need for the tuition aid as determined by and in accordance with
standards to be established by the authority; and

���� (4)�� maintains satisfactory
academic progress in accordance with standards established by the authority.

���� d.��� Eligibility criteria for
summer tuition aid grants awarded pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2023, c.34
(C.18A:71B-20a) shall conform to the requirements of this section and shall
include the following additional eligibility criteria:

���� (1)�� the student is enrolled
in six or more credit hours in the summer term;

���� (2)�� the courses for which
the summer tuition aid grant is to be applied are in the same undergraduate
program at the same institution in which the student was enrolled during the
student's most recent semester of enrollment in the preceding academic year; and

���� (3)�� the courses for which
the summer tuition aid grant is to be applied may be credited toward the
student's graduation or academic major requirements.

(cf: P.L.2023, c.283, s.1)

���� 2. N.J.S.18A:71B-21 is amended
to read as follows:

���� a.���� The amount of a tuition
aid grant awarded under this article to any student attending an eligible
institution shall be established by the authority, but shall not exceed the
maximum amount of tuition normally charged at a public institution of higher
education for students attending that institution or
[
50%
]

50
percent
of the average tuition normally charged at the independent
institutions of higher education for students attending those institutions.�
As
determined by the authority, part-time grant awards shall be prorated against
the full-time grant award for the applicable institutional sector.
� The
amount of a State tuition aid grant awarded under this act to any
full-time

student attending an institution of higher education in any state other than
New Jersey pursuant to this section shall not exceed $500 in an academic year.�
The amount of grant to be paid for each semester or its equivalent shall be
based on the financial need for the grant, as determined by standards and
procedures established by the authority, and subject to the amount of appropriations
available therefor.

���� b.��� Appropriations for each
program category of
full-time
tuition aid grants shall be separately
made by line item.�
Appropriations for each program category of part-time
tuition aid grants shall be separately made by line item.

���� c.���� State tuition aid
grants shall be awarded by the authority to all eligible applicants without any
limitation on the number to be awarded in any year other than the amount of
appropriations available therefor.� In the event that the amount appropriated
is insufficient for full awards to all eligible applicants, the authority, in
consultation with the Commission on Higher Education, shall reduce awards
equitably among eligible students according to such procedures and guidelines
as it shall establish.� Any revisions of procedures and guidelines in effect as
of the effective date of this act shall be submitted on or before March 1 of
the prebudget year by the executive director of the authority to the Joint
Budget Oversight Committee of the Legislature, or its successor, together with
supporting information.� The revised criteria and guidelines may be approved or
disapproved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, at any
time; provided that if at the end of a 60-calendar day period after the date on
which the revisions are transmitted to the committee, the committee has taken
no action, the proposed revised criteria and guidelines shall be deemed to be
approved by the committee.

(cf: N.J.S.18A:71B-21)

���� 3.� (New section) The
Legislature finds and declares:

���� a. New Jersey is a national
leader in state financial aid for college students, yet critical gaps remain.�

���� b. While more than half of low‑income
students attend college tuition‑free, fewer than 5 percent incur zero
total cost once housing, transportation, food, and books are included in cost calculations.

���� c. The State�s Tuition Aid
Grant (TAG) Program and Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) Program are
primarily tuition‑focused, leaving non‑tuition barriers to college
completion unaddressed by the State.�

���� d.� Adult, returning, and part‑time
students, who represent a majority of public college students nationally, face
inconsistent eligibility rules across student assistance programs.

���� e.� Neither the TAG program
nor the CCOG program requires routine public reporting on the equity gaps,
persistence rates, or completion outcomes of their recipients.

���� f. The result is a State
student assistance system that successfully lowers sticker prices for college
attendance, but insufficiently addresses true affordability, completion
barriers, and equity gaps experienced by the State�s students.

���� g. Research consistently shows
that first‑dollar student aid programs produce stronger enrollment and
completion effects than last‑dollar programs because they reduce the out‑of‑pocket
expenses that drive low‑income students to exit institutions of higher
education.�

���� h. Intensive advising supports
improves student persistence and completion, especially in programs serving
first‑generation and adult students.

���� i. Programs that exclude adult
and part‑time college students show weaker equity and completion effects,
limiting workforce impact.

���� j.� There is an urgent need to
assist college students in meeting their nontuition costs, and to support their
higher education goals through dedicated advising services that promote college
affordability, completion, and equity.

���� k. A p
ilot‑based approach
towards
meeting these student needs will limit the State�s fiscal exposure and allow
evidence‑driven program scaling in a thoughtful and data-informed manner.

� �� 4.��� (New section) As used in
sections 5 and 6 of P.L. , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), �nontuition cost� means any cost
incurred by an undergraduate student, other than tuition, that is necessary for
the successful completion of an academic program, including, but not limited
to, housing, food, childcare, transportation, fees, healthcare, books,
supplies, and any other cost approved by the Executive Director of the Higher
Education Student Assistance Authority for the purposes of the program.

���� 5.� (New section) a. There is established
a five-year New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot
Program.� The purposes of the program are to provide:

���� (1) student grants to eligible
undergraduate students for nontuition costs pursuant to section 6 of P.L.��� ,
c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill); and

���� (2) institution grants to
institutions of higher education for dedicated advising services that promote
college affordability, completion, and equity pursuant to section 9 of P.L.�� ,
c.��� (C������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).�

���� b.� The student grants
distributed through the program shall be administered by the Higher Education
Student Assistance Authority.� The institution grants distributed through the
program shall be administered by the Office of the Secretary of Higher
Education.�

���� 6. (New section) a.� The
Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall
administer the distribution of student grants through the New Jersey Student
Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program established pursuant to
section 5 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill).� The purpose of a student grant distributed through the program shall
be to fund an eligible student�s nontuition costs.�

���� b. Notwithstanding any other
provision of law to the contrary, a student grant distributed through the
program shall be applied to the total amount of the student�s nontuition costs
prior to the application of any other State, federal, or institutional
need-based grant or merit scholarships for which the student may be eligible.�

���� c. The executive director of
the authority shall establish such procedures as may be necessary to document
the appropriate use of the student grants.�

���� 7.� (New section) a. To be
eligible to receive a student grant under the New Jersey Student Affordability,
Completion, and Equity Pilot Program, an undergraduate student shall meet the
requirements for eligibility for a State tuition aid grant pursuant to
N.J.S.18A:71B-20, except that eligibility for the pilot program shall be
limited to undergraduate students enrolled in institutions of higher
education.� An institution of higher education shall not impose additional
eligibility requirements for the New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion,
and Equity Pilot Program.

���� b.��� A student grant awarded
through the program may be renewed for a student who:

���� (1)�� annually completes and
submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, other financial aid form,
or, as applicable, a State financial aid form as required by the authority
pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1);

���� (2)�� meets the standards for
academic performance and satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the institution
of higher education that the student is attending, to determine eligibility for
federal student aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
or, in the semester immediately prior to receiving an award, attains a minimum
level of academic success as determined by the authority; and

���� (3)�� maintains eligibility as
established pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

���� c. (1) A student shall be
eligible for a student grant under the program for up to nine semesters, unless
the student is enrolled in a program regularly requiring at least 10 semesters
for completion, in which case the authority shall permit up to 11 semesters of
eligibility.��

���� (2)�� Semesters for which a
student is enrolled in at least six credits but less than 12 credits shall be
counted as one-half of a full-time semester.

���� d.��� A student may be
eligible for a student grant under the program during a fall or spring semester
in an academic year.�

���� e.���� If a student, the
student's family, or an institution of higher education deems that the
authority made an unfair determination of eligibility, an appeal may be filed
with the authority within 60 days of initial notification of eligibility or
ineligibility.�

���� f.���� The institution of
higher education that a student attends shall notify the student of the
student's eligibility for the program and the amount of the student grant.�

���� 8.� (New section) The
Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall
annually� report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2
of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the impact of student grants distributed
through the pilot program and the advisability of establishing the program on a
permanent basis.� The report shall include data, disaggregated by race,
ethnicity, age, family income at the time of admission, gender, and
first-generation status, on college persistence, degree completion, and the
remaining higher education costs of students after the application of all
State, federal, and institution aid and awards.

���� 9. (New section) a.� The
Secretary of Higher Education shall administer the distribution of institution
grants to institutions of higher education through the New Jersey Student
Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program established pursuant to 5
of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).�
The purpose of the institution grants shall be to provide dedicated advising
services to recipients of student grants awarded pursuant to section 6 of P.L.���
, c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).�

���� b. The secretary shall
distribute institution grants to institutions of higher education, in such a
manner and in such amounts as the secretary determines.� The secretary shall
establish the objectives for which an institution may use a grant received
pursuant to this section, which shall include, but not be limited to:

���� (1)�� the provision of intensive
student advising with a focus on developing personalized degree and career
plans;

���� (2) improving new students�
awareness and understanding of the institution�s credit policies, including
prerequisite, credit transfer, and credit for prior learning policies;

���� (3)�� the provision of support
services tailored for the unique needs of adult nontraditional students,
part-time students, and first-generation students;�

���� (4) wraparound assistance in
navigating financial aid and other supports and services available for students
through on-campus, community, and State programs; and

���� (5)
active and ongoing communication efforts that improve �student
understanding of the deadlines, requirements, and resources needed to achieve
degree completion.

���� 10. (New section) The
Secretary of Higher Education shall annually report to the Governor, and to the
Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the
impact of institution grants distributed through the pilot program and the advisability
of establishing the program on a permanent basis.�

���� 11. (New section) a. The
Secretary of Higher Education and the Executive Director of the Higher
Education Student Assistance Authority shall annually report to the Governor,
and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1),
on the collective impact of the Tuition Aid Grant Program, the Community
College Opportunity Grant Program, and the New Jersey Student Affordability,
Completion, and Equity Pilot Program until such time as the pilot program has
expired.�

���� b. The report required
pursuant to this section shall include various metrics on program impact
including, but not limited to:

���� (1) college entrance rates;

���� (2) college persistence rates;

���� (3) college completion rates;
and

���� (4) average yearly cost of
attendance after the application of all State, federal, and institution student
assistance programs.

���� All metrics shall be
disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, family income at the time of admission,
gender, and first-generation status, on college persistence, degree completion,
and the remaining higher education costs of students after the application of
all State, federal, and institution aid and awards.

���� c. In the event that the
reported metrics indicate one or more equity gaps among program participants,
the report shall include recommendations for program modifications towards
narrowing that gap.� ��

� �� 12.� (New section) The
authority shall adopt in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure
Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations as may
be necessary to implement the provisions of sections 6 through 7 of this act.�
The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall adopt in accordance with
the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et
seq.), rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of
section 9 of this act.�

���� 13.� (New section) The amount
of funds appropriated on the effective date of P.L.��� , c.�� (C.���� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) for full-time tuition aid grants and
part-time tuition aid grants for county college students shall not be reduced
or diverted to implement the provisions of sections 1 and 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ������
) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 14. (New section) The
Legislature shall annually appropriate such funds as are necessary to implement
the provisions of this act until such time as the New Jersey Student
Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program has expired.

���� 15. This act shall take effect
immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year next
following the date of enactment.�

STATEMENT

���� This
bill expands the Tuition Aid Grant program to part-time undergraduates and
establishes the New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot
Program.

���� The bill expands the Tuition
Aid Grant program to part-time undergraduate students who are enrolled in an
eligible institution in New Jersey.� The bill provides that part-time grant
awards would be prorated against the full-time grant award for public and independent
institutions of higher education as determined by the Higher Education Student
Assistance Authority.� Under the current statute, the amount of a tuition aid
grant may not exceed the maximum amount of tuition normally charged at a public
institution or 50 percent of the average tuition normally charged at an
independent institution.

���� Appropriations for each
program category of part-time tuition aid grants would be made separately by
line item in order to ensure that funding for the part-time tuition aid grants
would not lead to a reduction in the funding for the full-time tuition aid
grants.

���� The bill also establishes a
five-year New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot
Program.� The purposes of the program are to provide:

���� (1) student grants to eligible
undergraduate students for nontuition costs; and

���� (2) institution grants to
institutions of higher education for dedicated advising services that promote
college affordability, completion, and equity.�

���� Under the bill, the Executive
Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (authority) will
administer the distribution of student grants.� The purpose of a student grant
is to fund an eligible student�s nontuition costs.� �Nontuition cost� is
defined in the bill to mean any cost incurred by an undergraduate student,
other than tuition, that is necessary for the successful completion of an
academic program, including, but not limited to, housing, food, childcare,
transportation, fees, healthcare, books, supplies, and any other cost approved
by the executive director for the purposes of the program.�

���� The bill requires a student
grant distributed through the program to be applied to the total amount of the
student�s nontuition costs prior to the application of any other State,
federal, or institutional need-based grant or merit scholarships for which the
student may be eligible.� The bill authorizes the executive director to
establish such procedures as may be necessary to document the appropriate use
of the student grants.�

���� Under the bill, a student
eligible for a tuition aid grant will be eligible for a student grant through
the New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program,
except that eligibility for student grants will be limited to undergraduate
students enrolled in institutions of higher education.� Tuition aid grant
recipients at proprietary institutions will not be eligible for student
grants.� The bill outlines how a student grant may be renewed and for how many
semesters.�� The bill requires notification of eligibility for a student grant
and provides for an appeal of a determination of eligibility.�

���� Under the bill, the Secretary
of Higher Education is directed to �administer the distribution of institution
grants to institutions of higher education through the New Jersey Student
Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program.� The purpose of the
institution grants will be to provide dedicated advising services to recipients
of student grants awarded pursuant to the bill�s provisions.� ��

���� The bill provides that the
secretary will distribute institution grants to institutions of higher
education, in such a manner and in such amounts as the secretary determines.�
The secretary will establish the objectives for which an institution may use a
grant, but the secretary is required to include certain objectives specified in
the bill.�

���� The bill directs the executive
director of the authority and the secretary to each report annually to the
Governor and the Legislature on the program�s impact and the advisability of
establishing the program on a permanent basis.�

���� The bill directs the Secretary
of Higher Education and the Executive Director of the Higher Education Student
Assistance Authority to annually report to the Governor and the Legislature on
the collective impact of the Tuition Aid Grant Program, the Community College
Opportunity Grant Program, and the New Jersey Student Affordability,
Completion, and Equity Pilot Program until such time as the pilot program has
expired.�

���� The bill directs the
Legislature to annually appropriate such funds as are necessary to implement
the bill�s provisions until such time as the New Jersey Student Affordability,
Completion, and Equity Pilot Program has expired.