§ 667-c. Part-time tuition assistance program awards. 1.
Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the
president of the higher education services corporation is authorized to
make tuition assistance program awards to:

a. part-time students enrolled at the state university, a community
college, the city university of New York, and a non-profit college or
university incorporated by the regents or by the legislature who meet
all requirements for tuition assistance program awards except for the
students' part-time attendance; or

b. part-time students enrolled at a community college or a public
agricultural and technical college in a non-degree workforce credential
program directly leading to the employment or advancement of a student
in a "significant industry" as identified by the department of labor in
its three most recent statewide significant industries reports published
preceding the student's enrollment in such non-degree workforce
credential program. The state university of New York and the city
university of New York shall publish and maintain a master list of all
eligible non-degree workforce credential program courses and update such
list every semester. Eligible non-degree workforce credential programs
shall include those programs less than twelve semester hours, or the
equivalent, per semester. A student who successfully completes a
non-degree workforce credential program and receives part-time tuition
assistance program awards pursuant to this paragraph shall be awarded
academic credit by the state university of New York or city university
of New York upon matriculation into a degree program at such
institution, provided that such credit shall be equal to the
corresponding credit hours earned in the non-degree workforce credential
program.

2. For purposes of this section:

a. for students defined in paragraph a of subdivision one of this
section, a part-time student is one who: (i) enrolled as a first-time
freshman during the two thousand six--two thousand seven academic year
or thereafter at a college or university within the state university,
including a statutory or contract college, a community college
established pursuant to article one hundred twenty-six of this chapter,
the city university of New York, or a non-profit college or university
incorporated by the regents or by the legislature;

(ii) is enrolled for at least six but less than twelve semester hours,
or the equivalent, per semester in an approved undergraduate degree
program; and

(iii) has a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00.

b. for students defined in paragraph b of subdivision one of this
section, a part-time student is one who: (i) meets all requirements for
tuition assistance program awards except for the student's part-time
attendance and any other requirements that are inconsistent with the
student's enrollment in a non-degree workforce credential program; and

(ii) is enrolled in an approved non-degree workforce credential
program at a community college or a public agricultural and technical
college pursuant to paragraph b of subdivision one of this section.

3. a. For part-time students defined in this section, the award shall
be calculated as provided in section six hundred sixty-seven of this
article and shall be in an amount equal to the enrollment factor percent
of the award the student would have been eligible for if the student
were enrolled full-time. For part-time students defined in paragraph a
of subdivision one of this section, the enrollment factor percent is the
percentage obtained by dividing the number of credits the student is
enrolled in, as certified by the school, by the number of credits
required for full-time study in the semester, quarter or term as defined
by the commissioner. For part-time students defined in paragraph b of
subdivision one of this section, the enrollment factor shall be
calculated pursuant to regulations established by the higher education
services corporation.

b. (i) For part-time students defined in paragraph a of subdivision
one of this section, any semester, quarter or term of attendance during
which a student receives an award pursuant to this section shall be
counted as the enrollment factor percent of a semester, quarter or term
toward the maximum term of eligibility for tuition assistance awards
pursuant to section six hundred sixty-seven of this article. The total
period of study for which payment may be made shall not exceed the
equivalent of the maximum period authorized for that award.

(ii) For part-time students defined in paragraph b of subdivision one
of this section, the total period of study for which payment may be made
shall not exceed the equivalent of the maximum period authorized for the
non-degree workforce credential program pursuant to paragraph b of
subdivision one of this section.