S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6061
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 5, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. PARKER, FERNANDEZ, RHOADS -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Higher
   Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law, in relation to establishing the
   COVID-19 children scholarship
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 608-b
 to read as follows:
   § 608-B. COVID-19 CHILDREN SCHOLARSHIPS. 1.  NOTWITHSTANDING  SUBDIVI-
 SION FIVE OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE OF THIS TITLE, CHILDREN WHOSE
 PARENT, PRIMARY CARETAKER OR SIBLING DIED OR WAS DISABLED AS A RESULT OF
 CONTRACTING  COVID-19,  SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A SCHOLARSHIP IN AN
 ANNUAL AMOUNT DETERMINED PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  SECTION  SIX
 HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT-H OF THIS TITLE.
   2.  AWARDS  UNDER  THIS  SECTION SHALL BE PAYABLE FOR EACH OF NOT MORE
 THAN FOUR ACADEMIC YEARS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDY OR FIVE  ACADEMIC  YEARS
 IF A PROGRAM NORMALLY REQUIRES FIVE YEARS, AS DEFINED BY THE COMMISSION-
 ER PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
   §  2.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 668-h to
 read as follows:
   § 668-H. COVID-19 CHILDREN SCHOLARSHIPS. 1. ELIGIBLE GROUPS.  NOTWITH-
 STANDING SUBDIVISION FIVE OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE OF THIS PART,
 CHILDREN WHOSE PARENT, PRIMARY CARETAKER OR SIBLING DIED OR WAS DISABLED
 AS A RESULT OF CONTRACTING COVID-19, SHALL  BE  ELIGIBLE  TO  RECEIVE  A
 SCHOLARSHIP.
   2.  AMOUNT.  (A)  THE PRESIDENT SHALL GRANT ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE
 FOLLOWING AMOUNTS:
   (1) IF THE RECIPIENT ATTENDS AN INSTITUTION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY  OF
 NEW  YORK  OR  AN  INSTITUTION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK OTHER
 THAN THE STATUTORY COLLEGES AT CORNELL,  THE  COLLEGE  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06656-01-5
              

 S. 6061                             2
 
 SCIENCE  AND FORESTRY AT SYRACUSE AND THE COLLEGE OF CERAMICS AT ALFRED,
 THE ANNUAL AWARD SHALL BE AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO:  THE  TUITION  CHARGED  AT
 SUCH  INSTITUTION PROVIDED THAT, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW TO
 THE  CONTRARY,  THE TUITION CHARGED TO AWARD RECIPIENTS SHALL NOT EXCEED
 THAT CHARGED TO STATE RESIDENT STUDENTS ATTENDING SUCH INSTITUTION;  THE
 MANDATORY  FEES CHARGED AT SUCH INSTITUTION; AND THE NON-TUITION COST OF
 ATTENDANCE AT SUCH INSTITUTION OR COLLEGE, PROVIDED THAT THE SCHOLARSHIP
 SHALL NOT EXCEED AN AMOUNT THAT IS EQUAL TO THE TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE
 DETERMINED FOR FEDERAL TITLE IV STUDENT FINANCIAL AID PURPOSES, LESS ALL
 OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS PROVIDED BY NEW YORK STATE, OTHER  STATES,
 THE  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT, OR OTHER GOVERNMENTS, AND THE AMOUNT OF EDUCA-
 TIONAL BENEFITS PAID UNDER ANY PROGRAM THAT WOULD DUPLICATE THE PURPOSES
 OF THIS PROGRAM, PROVIDED THAT ANY SCHOLARSHIPS OR GRANTS PROVIDED TO  A
 RECIPIENT  BY  THE INSTITUTION WHICH ARE INTENDED TO FUND ANY PORTION OF
 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ANNUAL STATE AWARD AND THE  ACTUAL  COSTS  OF
 ATTENDANCE  AT ANY SUCH INSTITUTION SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED TO DUPLICATE
 THE PURPOSES OF THIS PROGRAM; OR
   (2) IF THE RECIPIENT ATTENDS ANY OTHER TWO- OR  FOUR-YEAR  INSTITUTION
 WITHIN  NEW  YORK  STATE, THE ANNUAL AWARD SHALL BE BASED UPON AN AMOUNT
 EQUAL TO: THE TUITION CHARGED TO STATE  RESIDENT  STUDENTS  ATTENDING  A
 FOUR-YEAR  COLLEGE  OF  THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY  OF NEW YORK; THE AVERAGE
 MANDATORY FEES CHARGED AT FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY  OF
 NEW  YORK,  OR  THE  ACTUAL  TUITION  AND FEES CHARGED TO THE RECIPIENT,
 WHICHEVER IS LESS; AND THE AVERAGE NON-TUITION COST  OF  ATTENDANCE,  AS
 DETERMINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND AS APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDG-
 ET, FOR A STUDENT AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK OR ACTUAL NON-TUI-
 TION COST OF ATTENDANCE AT SUCH INSTITUTION, WHICHEVER IS LESS, PROVIDED
 THAT THE SCHOLARSHIP SHALL BE AT LEAST TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS
 PER  YEAR,  AND PROVIDED THAT THE SCHOLARSHIP SHALL NOT EXCEED AN AMOUNT
 THAT IS EQUAL TO THE TOTAL COST OF  ATTENDANCE  DETERMINED  FOR  FEDERAL
 TITLE IV STUDENT FINANCIAL AID PURPOSES, LESS ALL OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS AND
 GRANTS PROVIDED BY NEW YORK STATE, OTHER STATES, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,
 OR  OTHER GOVERNMENTS, AND THE AMOUNT OF EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS PAID UNDER
 ANY PROGRAM THAT WOULD DUPLICATE THE PURPOSES OF THIS PROGRAM,  PROVIDED
 THAT  ANY SCHOLARSHIPS OR GRANTS PROVIDED TO A RECIPIENT BY THE INSTITU-
 TION WHICH ARE INTENDED TO FUND ANY PORTION OF  THE  DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN
 THE  ANNUAL  STATE  AWARD AND THE ACTUAL COSTS OF ATTENDANCE AT ANY SUCH
 INSTITUTION SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED TO DUPLICATE THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 PROGRAM.
   (3)  "NON-TUITION  COST  OF  ATTENDANCE", AS USED IN THIS SUBDIVISION,
 SHALL MEAN: (I) THE ACTUAL AMOUNT CHARGED BY THE  INSTITUTION  FOR  ROOM
 AND  BOARD, AND (II) AN ALLOWANCE FOR TRANSPORTATION, BOOKS AND SUPPLIES
 AS DETERMINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND AS APPROVED BY THE  DIRECTOR  OF  THE
 BUDGET,  PROVIDED  THAT  SUCH  DETERMINATION SHALL BE MADE NO LATER THAN
 DECEMBER FIRST OF EACH YEAR FOR USE IN THE SUCCEEDING ACADEMIC YEAR.  IN
 THE EVENT A STUDENT DOES NOT INCUR ROOM OR BOARD CHARGES AT THE INSTITU-
 TION,  "NON-TUITION COST OF ATTENDANCE" SHALL MEAN AN ALLOWANCE FOR ROOM
 AND BOARD AS DETERMINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR OF
 THE BUDGET. IN DETERMINING ALLOWANCES PURSUANT TO THIS SUBPARAGRAPH, THE
 PRESIDENT MAY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE ALLOWANCES PROVIDED FOR IN THE
 PELL GRANT PROGRAM.
   (B) IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COMBINATION OF  ALL  STUDENT  FINANCIAL  AID
 RECEIVED  BY  A STUDENT EXCEED A RECIPIENT'S TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE AT
 THE INSTITUTION BEING ATTENDED.
   3. DURATION. AWARDS UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE PAYABLE  FOR  EACH  OF
 NOT MORE THAN FOUR ACADEMIC YEARS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDY OR FIVE ACADEM-
 S. 6061                             3

 IC  YEARS  IF  A PROGRAM NORMALLY REQUIRES FIVE YEARS, AS DEFINED BY THE
 COMMISSIONER PURSUANT TO ARTICLE THIRTEEN OF THIS TITLE.
   §  3.  Section  604  of  the  education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 13 to read as follows:
   13. COVID-19 CHILDREN SCHOLARSHIPS.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.