N.Y. Education Law § 4210: Aid for blind or deaf students

§ 4210. Aid for blind or deaf students. 1. a. Whenever a blind or deaf

person, who is a citizen of this state and a student in actual

attendance at a college, university, technical or professional school,

including agriculture and technical institutes and state institutes of

applied arts and sciences, located in this state and authorized by law

to grant degrees, or licensed private career schools as defined in

article one hundred one of this title and located in this state, other

than an institution established for the regular instruction of the blind

or deaf, shall be designated by the trustees thereof as a fit person to

receive the aid hereinafter provided for, there shall be paid by the

state for the use of such student a sum not to exceed four thousand

dollars per annum, subject to terms and conditions prescribed by the

commissioner in regulations and within the limits of the appropriation

therefor, with which to provide such students with support to read,

including the employment of persons to read to such student and/or the

purchase of technology to assist the student in reading from text-books

and pamphlets in his or her studies at such college, university or

school, or to aid such student, in receiving instruction in such

studies.

b. The trustees of any institution meeting the requirements of this

section shall submit reports in such form and at such times as

prescribed by the commissioner identifying the number of students

eligible to receive aid pursuant to this subdivision and shall estimate

the funds needed to support such students as provided herein. The

commissioner shall advance twice during the school year to each such

institution such estimated amounts within the limits of the annual

appropriation provided therefore.

c. At the conclusion of the academic year for which such funds are

provided, each institution receiving funds pursuant to this subdivision

shall submit to the commissioner a final accounting for the use of such

funds and any additional reporting requirements prescribed by the

commissioner in regulations and shall return any unspent funds.

2. Such moneys shall be paid annually, after the beginning of the

school year of such institution, by the commissioner of taxation and

finance on the warrant of the comptroller, to the treasurer of such

institution, on his presenting an account showing the actual number of

blind or deaf students matriculated and attending the institution, which

account shall be verified by the president of the institution and

accompanied by his certificate that the trustees have recommended the

students named in said account as hereinbefore provided.

3. The trustees of any of the said institutions shall recommend no

blind or deaf person, who is not regularly matriculated, and who is not

in good and regular standing, and who is not working for a degree from

the institution in which he or she is matriculated; and no blind or deaf

person shall be recommended, who is not doing the work regularly

prescribed by the institution for the degree for which he or she is a

candidate. The moneys so paid to any such institution shall be disbursed

for the purposes aforesaid by and under the direction of its board of

trustees.

4. Funds appropriated in the two thousand seventeen--two thousand

eighteen academic year and thereafter for the purposes of this

initiative shall be allocated on a first-come, first serve basis based

on the order of applications received by the commissioner, in a

timeframe and manner prescribed by the commissioner in regulations.

5. Funds allocated pursuant to this section shall supplement not

supplant any aid provided and/or devices currently used by the college,

university, technical or professional school, including agriculture and

technical institutes and state institutes of applied arts and sciences

or licensed private career schools as defined in article one hundred one

of this title, for the purposes of this section.