N.Y. Education Law § 679-h: New York state child welfare worker incentive scholarship program

§ 679-h. New York state child welfare worker incentive scholarship

program. 1. Purpose. The president shall grant scholarship awards for

the purpose of enhancing the proficiency of current child welfare

workers in New York state. Such awards shall be made on a competitive

basis to applicants who are currently employed at a voluntary

not-for-profit child welfare agency in New York state licensed by the

office of children and family services, or employed within such state

agency as a child welfare worker, with at least two years' experience

and are enrolling in an approved program to obtain a degree that will

enhance their ability to work in such agency.

2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this section,

applicants shall: a. be currently employed at a voluntary not-for-profit

child welfare agency in New York state licensed by the office of

children and family services, with at least two years of qualified

experience;

b. be matriculated in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at

an institution of higher education located within New York state in a

program of study that would enhance their ability to work in such agency

as determined by the president;

c. agree to work in a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare agency in

New York state licensed by the office of children and family services as

a child welfare worker on a full time basis for a period of no less than

five continuous years upon completion of such degree program within a

reasonable period of time and maintain residency in New York state for

such period of employment; and

d. comply with subdivisions three and five of section six hundred

sixty-one of this part.

3. Award conditions and requirements. a. Within amounts appropriated

therefore and based on availability of funds, scholarships shall be

granted beginning with the two thousand seventeen -- two thousand

eighteen academic year and thereafter on a competitive basis to

applicants whom the corporation has certified are eligible to receive

such awards; and who agree to work in a voluntary not-for-profit child

welfare agency in New York state licensed by the office of children and

family services as a child welfare worker on a full time basis for a

period of no less than five continuous years upon completion of such

degree within a reasonable period of time and maintain residency in New

York state for such period of employment.

b. An applicant must make every reasonable effort to obtain employment

in a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare agency in New York state

licensed by the office of children and family services as a child

welfare worker upon graduation.

4. Amount. The corporation shall grant such awards within the amounts

appropriated for such purpose and based on availability of funds

according to a schedule to be determined by the corporation in an

amount:

a. equal to the tuition charged to state resident students attending

an undergraduate or graduate degree program, as applicable, at the state

university of New York; the average mandatory fees charged at 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 corporation and as approved by the

director of the budget, for a student at the state university of New

York or actual non-tuition cost of attendance at such institution,

whichever is less 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 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.

b. not to exceed twenty thousand dollars for a master's degree program

at a private institution; the average mandatory fees charged at the

private institution, 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 corporation and as approved by the

director of the budget, for a student at such private institution or

actual non-tuition cost of attendance at such institution, whichever is

less, 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 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.

5. Other awards. Award recipients shall be eligible to apply for other

awards.

6. Duration. An award shall entitle the recipient to annual payments

for either an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree.

An eligible recipient enrolled in an eligible two year program of study

shall not receive an award for more than two academic years. An eligible

recipient enrolled in an eligible undergraduate program of study shall

not receive an award for more than four academic years of undergraduate

study or five academic years if the program of study normally requires

five years. An eligible recipient enrolled in a graduate program of

study shall not receive an award for more than two academic years.

Notwithstanding, such duration may be extended for an allowable

interruption of study as determined by the corporation.

7. Penalties for noncompliance. a. The corporation may collect the

full amount of the award given pursuant to this section, plus interest,

according to a schedule to be determined by the corporation, if: (i) the

recipient fails to complete their degree program within a reasonable

time as determined by the corporation; or (ii) one year after the

completion of the degree program it is found that a recipient did not

begin full-time employment at a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare

agency in New York state licensed by the office of children and family

services as a child welfare worker; or (iii) the recipient fails to

complete five continuous years of full-time employment at a voluntary

not-for-profit child welfare agency in the state licensed by the office

of children and family services as a child welfare worker or maintain

residency in New York state for such period of employment; or (iv) the

recipient fails to respond to requests by the corporation for the status

of his or her academic or professional progress. The terms and

conditions of this subdivision shall be deferred for any interruption in

an undergraduate or graduate study or employment as established by the

rules and regulations of the corporation. Any obligation to comply with

such provisions as outlined in this section shall be cancelled upon the

death of the recipient. Notwithstanding any provisions of this

subdivision to the contrary, the corporation is authorized to promulgate

rules and regulations necessary for the waiver of suspension of any

financial obligation which would involve extreme hardship.

8. Recipient selection. The president may establish:

a. an application deadline; and

b. a method of selecting recipients if in any given year there are

insufficient funds to cover the needs of all applicants and returning

recipients.

9. Rules and regulations. The corporation is authorized to promulgate

rules and regulations, and may promulgate emergency regulations,

necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this section

including, but not limited to, the criteria to distributing the awards,

which may include a lottery or other form of random selection, and the

rate of interest charges for repayment of the student loan.