Bill > S600

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the Volunteer First Responders Loan Redemption Program in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. To be eligible to participate in the program, an applicant is required to:· be a resident of the State;· be an active volunteer emergency responder who: o in the case of a volunteer on a first aid, rescue, or ambulance squad or with an Office of Emergency Management, has completed a minimum of 500 hours of volunteer work in each year of program participation; oro in the case of a volunteer firefighter, has responded to at least 60 percent of regular alarms and 60 percent of drills and has received certification from the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs;· have completed an undergraduate degree or certificate program at an in-State institution of higher education on or after the bill's effective date; and· provide the authority with a sworn or official statement from the chief or other presiding officer with the volunteer fire company, the volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squad, or the county or municipal volunteer Office of Emergency Management, as appropriate, attesting that the applicant is an active member in good standing. The redemption of loans under the program would amount to $6,000 or the outstanding balance of eligible student loan expenses, whichever is less. A participant may receive $2,000 in each of the second, third, and fourth years of active service in the program following graduation from the degree or certificate program. A program participant will not be eligible to receive any loan redemption in the first year of active service in the program.

Committee Categories

Latham Tiver (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document