This bill creates a temporary five-year teaching certification program for veterans in New Jersey. It allows veterans who have completed at least four years of honorable military service, earned 60 college credits, and passed subject-matter exams to receive a temporary certificate while enrolled in an approved educator preparation program at a New Jersey university. School districts can hire these veterans full- or part-time, and their teaching experience counts toward their program's clinical practice requirement. The program applies to veterans honorably discharged from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard, or Reserve components.
This bill establishes the Garden State Guarantee Program, providing last-dollar financial aid grants to cover the net cost of tuition and fees for eligible students in their third and fourth years at New Jersey's four-year public colleges. It directly affects students with family or personal annual adjusted gross income between $0 and $100,000 (with possible annual adjustments), requiring them to apply for all other federal, state, and institutional aid first. The program covers up to 18 credits per semester after other grants are applied, ensuring students pay only what remains after other financial aid is deducted. It codifies an existing program while expanding income-based eligibility for the third and fourth years of study.
This bill would provide tuition-free credits (up to 16 per semester for eight semesters) at public or degree-granting colleges to:
1) Retired law enforcement officers/firefighters who retired due to service-related injuries/illnesses, and
2) Dependents or spouses of officers/firefighters who died in the line of duty.
To qualify, recipients must apply for all available federal and state student aid first, and maintain enrollment in good academic standing. The state would reimburse institutions for uncovered tuition costs after other aid is applied.
This bill (A 3795) provides tuition-free enrollment in New Jersey public colleges for dependent children of veterans who died, are missing in action, or are totally disabled due to service-related injuries (as certified by the VA). It covers up to 60 credits for associate degrees and 120 credits for bachelor's degrees at public institutions. To qualify, students must be New Jersey residents, meet academic progress standards, apply for all other available financial aid (including federal VA benefits), and have classroom space available. The state will reimburse public colleges for waived tuition costs.
This bill creates a program to help New Jersey volunteer emergency responders (like fire department members and first aid squad volunteers) reduce student loan debt. To qualify, applicants must be state residents, have completed an in-state undergraduate degree or certificate, and provide proof of active volunteer status. The program redeems up to $16,000 of eligible student loans over three years of continued service: $4,000 in year one, $4,000 in year two, and $8,000 in year three (capped at specified percentages of the original loan balance). Participants must maintain active volunteer status each year to receive payments.
This bill establishes a New Jersey County College Remissible Student Loan Program to help students cover tuition, fees, and textbooks not covered by other aid. It directly affects eligible New Jersey residents enrolled part-time at county colleges who have applied for all other available grants and scholarships. The key provision allows borrowers to receive loans that are fully forgiven if they earn an associate degree within three years, with $1 million appropriated to fund the program. Loans cannot exceed tuition/fees costs, and repayment is deferred until after degree completion, though interest accrues.
This bill provides tuition assistance to New Jersey law enforcement officers who retired due to disability after serving at least four years. Eligible retired officers can attend public colleges (like Rutgers) or licensed private degree programs tuition-free for up to 16 credits per semester, covering costs not covered by federal or state grants they’ve applied for. To qualify, officers must have retired in good standing under specific disability retirement statutes and be enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students. The state will reimburse institutions for uncovered tuition costs after other aid is exhausted. The bill models existing tuition benefits for National Guard members.
This New Jersey bill (A 3669) requires colleges and universities to provide clear information about the dependent care allowance to students with dependents. Specifically, institutions must include details on how to request this federal allowance - covering expenses for caring for dependents - on financial aid "shopping sheets," their websites, and paper application materials. The allowance increases a student’s calculated cost of attendance, potentially making them eligible for more financial aid. The bill directly affects student parents and institutions of higher education in New Jersey, aiming to improve transparency around this benefit.
This bill appropriates $500,000 from the State General Fund to Rutgers University-New Brunswick specifically for its Nurture thru Nature (NtN) program. The NtN program provides STEM education and hands-on learning to students in grades 3-12, with a focus on addressing educational gaps in nearby inner-city school districts. The funding is a supplemental appropriation for the 2025 fiscal year to support this existing program's operations.
This bill protects faculty and professional staff at New Jersey City University (NJCU) who are part of recognized labor unions if NJCU merges with Kean University. It prohibits job loss, layoffs, involuntary reassignment, or reduced hours for these employees for three years after the merger. During this period, Kean University must first offer any vacant positions to transferred NJCU employees before hiring externally, and provide a two-year transition period for staff to meet new job requirements. The bill also ensures all existing union contracts, benefits, seniority, and retirement rights transfer fully to Kean University for three years.
