N.Y. Education Law § 667-c: Part-time tuition assistance program awards

§ 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 a degree granting institution of

higher education 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) is enrolled 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 three 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.