S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________

                                          119

                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                                   I N  S E N A T E

                                      (PREFILED)

                                    January 5, 2011
                                      ___________

       Introduced  by  Sen.  DIAZ  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting the defer-
         ral of awards granted under the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    1    Section 1. Section 667 of the education law is amended by adding a new
    2  subdivision 4 to read as follows:
    3    4. DEFERRAL OF TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AWARDS PROHIBITED.  UNDER NO
    4  CIRCUMSTANCES  SHALL  AN  AWARD  GRANTED  UNDER  THE  TUITION ASSISTANCE
    5  PROGRAM (TAP) PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION BE  DEFERRED  UNTIL  THE  STUDENT
    6  RECIPIENT GRADUATES FROM HIS OR HER COURSE OF STUDY. THE PRESIDENT SHALL
    7  PAY  A  TUITION  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM AWARD TO THE STUDENT RECIPIENT IN A
    8  REASONABLE TIMEFRAME IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE STUDENT RECIPIENT IS ABLE TO
    9  APPLY THE AWARD TOWARD HIS OR HER  TUITION  BILL  ON  TIME.  NO  TUITION
   10  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE MADE CONTINGENT UPON THE STUDENT'S GRADU-
   11  ATION FROM HIS OR HER UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE COURSE OF STUDY.
   12    S 2. This act shall  take  effect  immediately,  and  shall  apply  to
   13  academic quarters and semesters beginning on or after August 1, 2011.




        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02580-01-1