Bill > A3356

Introduced Session

This bill provides that retired law enforcement officers and retired firefighters are permitted to attend regularly-scheduled courses at public institutions of higher education or degree-granting proprietary institutions and receive up to 16 credits per semester tuition-free, for a maximum of eight semesters, provided that:· the officer or firefighter retired because of a service-related injury or illness pursuant to certain enumerated sections of State law or any substantially similar statute governing the disability retirement of federal law enforcement officers or firefighters;· the retired officer or firefighter is enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at the institution in good standing, or in a degree-granting program at a qualified proprietary institution in good standing; and· the retired officer or firefighter has applied for all available federal and State student grants and scholarships for which the officer is eligible. Under the bill, the State will reimburse an institution for the tuition of each eligible retired law enforcement officer and firefighter who enrolls in the institution to the extent that the tuition cost is not paid through federal and State student grants and scholarships. The bill also provides that the dependent child or spouse of a law enforcement officer or a firefighter who was a New Jersey resident and who died in the line of duty is permitted to attend regularly-scheduled courses at a public institution of higher education or a degree-granting proprietary institution and receive up to 16 credits per semester tuition-free, for a maximum of eight semesters, provided that the dependent child or spouse: · is a New Jersey resident;· meets the grade point average requirements of the institution's satisfactory academic progress policy in a degree program as determined by the institution's financial aid policy;· is accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study and is enrolled as an undergraduate student in good standing at that institution. In the event that the spouse has completed an undergraduate degree program prior to the time of the law enforcement officer's or firefighter's death, the spouse shall be entitled to enroll, tuition-free, in a graduate degree program offered by a public institution of higher education, excluding any medical, dental, or law programs; and· applies for all available State student grants and scholarships and all available federal student grants and scholarships for which the dependent child or spouse is eligible. Under the bill, the State will reimburse each public institution of higher education or degree-granting proprietary institution for the costs of waiving tuition pursuant to this act.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Paul Kanitra (R)*,  Michele Matsikoudis (R)*,  Greg McGuckin (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee (on 01/29/2024)

Official Document