Senate Bill S1889

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S1889

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amen the education law, in relation to  increasing the minimum
tuition assistance program award and increasing the tuition assistance
program income threshold

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this legislation is to increase the number of families
who would benefit from the tuition assistance program (TAP) award.  This
legislation would increase both the minimum amount a student would be
eligible to receive as a TAP award as well as increase income threshold
that families can earn while remaining eligible for a benefit.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill would amend Education Law § 667(3)(a)(ii)(D) to
increase the income threshold for eligibility to receive a tuition
              

assistance program award from the current amount of eighty thousand
dollars to a new cap of ninety-five thousand dollars.

Section 2 of the bill would amend Education Law § 667(3)(a)(vi) to
increase the minimum tuition assistance program award from the current
amount of five hundred dollars to a new minimum of seven hundred fifty
dollars.

Section 3 of the bill is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provides financial aid, based on
sliding income scales, to New York State students who attend public and
private colleges in New York State. TAP, which was created in 1974, is
among the nation's largest state-sponsored, need-based student aid
programs. The maximum TAP award of $5,165 has not increased since 2014,
the last increase before then was in 2000.

Since 1974, TAP has served millions of New York State students seeking
post-secondary education; however, there are concerns with the existing
tuition assistance program. The program as it currently exists leaves
too many students excluded or underserved under TAP.  This bill would
allow more students to become eligible to receive TAP award. This legis-
lation makes two changes that expand access to students coming from
middle-income families in the state. The first is to raise the income
threshold for TAP eligibility from $80,000 to $95,000. This threshold
increase will help to alleviate the previous cap and capture students
previously ineligible for TAP. The other change made by this legislation
would raise the minimum award a student could receive from $500 to $750.

At a time when many middle class families in New York are struggling due
to changes to the federal tax law that are punitive to our state the
dream of sending one's child to college should not have to be forfeited.
This bill would help assist families to be better able to afford high-
quality higher education for their children and stay in New York.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

The bill is estimated to cost $24 million.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect June 1, 2019.