Allows the higher education services corporation to consider an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment in determining eligibility and award amount for the tuition assistance program.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7245
SPONSOR: Kelles TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to allowing the higher
education services corporation to consider an applicant's change in
income due to the loss of employment in determining eligibility and
award amount for the tuition assistance program; and to provide for the
repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To allow the higher education services corporation(HESC), which adminis-
ters the state's tuition assistance program (TAP), to consider a TAP
applicant's more recent income in making adjustments to eligibility and
award amounts if the applicant's change in income is due to loss of
employment.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends subdivision S of section 663 of education
law adding a new paragraph b. allowing HESCto consider an applicant's
change in income due to the loss of employment in_determining eligibil-
ity and award amount for TAP.
Section 2 is the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is one of several state funded
programs supporting students in their pursuit of higher education and
since its establishment in 1974, TAP has provided aid to over 6 million
students. The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) administers
TAP and the program's application process which requires applicants to
provide income tax information for the previous two years as part of
determining eligibility and calculating award amounts.
Under TAP's certification and eligibility guidelines, income adjustments
will only be made under "limited situations" including divorce of
parents or from spouse, death of wage-earning parent or spouse or total,
permanent disability of wage-earning parent, student or spouse. The
program does not allow for adjustments to be made in the event of unem-
ployment; regardless if a student, parent, or spouse becomes unemployed
prior to or during the current academic year. Changes in income or
employment can occur for various reasons, such as sudden changes in
mental health or physical health of a student, wage-earning parent, or
spouse.
This bill will allow HESC, for the 2025-2026 academic year, to consider
an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment of the
applicant or parent of the applicant and utilize the applicant's income
reported in the New York state income tax returns for the prior calendar
year in making adjustments to eligibility and the amount of the award
for such academic year.
As Governor Hochul announced in October of 2024, expanded eligibility
for TAP and increased TAP award amounts have resulted in thousands more
students applying for and receiving financial aid. Many of these
students and their families may experience a change in income during the
year and the state should be flexible enough to recognize a need for an
adjustment to the TAP award to compensate for that lost income. Doing so
will enable more students to stay on track with their education - a goal
we should do all we can to support.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023/24: A9641 (Zebrowski) - referred to higher education
2021/22: A7050 (Zebrowski) - higher education reported to ways & means
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed December 31, 2026.
