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Bill

S 4535

Expands Tuition Aid Grant program to part-time undergraduates; establishes New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Troy Singleton

Expands need-based aid by extending the Tuition Aid Grant to part-time undergraduates and creates a pilot program to boost affordability, completion, and equity in NJ higher educat

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 4535

Summary of Bill: S 4535 (Session 222, New Jersey)

Purpose and intent

  • This bill expands the state's financial aid framework to increase access and affordability for higher education. Its central aims are to:
    • Extend Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) eligibility to part-time undergraduate students.
    • Create a new statewide program—the New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program—to test and support strategies that improve affordability, degree attainment, and equity in higher education.

Key provisions

  • Expansion of the Tuition Aid Grant program

    • Broadens eligibility criteria to include part-time undergraduate students, in addition to the existing full-time requirement.
    • Aims to reduce financial barriers for working or non-traditional students who pursue degrees or certificates on a part-time basis.
    • Likely keeps or adjusts calculations of grant amounts to align with part-time enrollment (specific funding formulas to be defined in accompanying rules or amendments).

  • New Jersey Student Affordability, Completion, and Equity Pilot Program

    • Establishes a pilot program focused on three pillars:
    • Affordability: strategies to lower the net cost of attendance for students.
    • Completion: efforts to improve timely degree or certificate completion rates.
    • Equity: targeted approaches to close gaps in access and outcomes among underrepresented or economically disadvantaged student groups.
    • The pilot program may designate participating institutions and specify metrics to evaluate success, such as completion rates, time to degree, reliance on student aid, and student debt levels.
    • Potential components could include revised awarding structures, targeted counseling or advising, and data-sharing protocols to monitor student progress (exact components to be defined by program guidelines).

Who is affected

  • Current and prospective undergraduate students who are enrolled part-time at eligible colleges or universities in New Jersey and who demonstrate financial need.
  • Higher education institutions and administrators that administer TAG and participate in the pilot program, including the development of implementation plans, reporting, and compliance with program requirements.
  • State higher education policymakers and officials responsible for administering TAG, the pilot program, and related state financial aid policies.

Procedural and timeline considerations

  • The bill would require implementing rules and guidelines to operationalize:
    • Eligibility verification for part-time TAG recipients.
    • Calculation methods for part-time grant awards.
    • Structure, governance, and evaluation framework for the Pilot Program.
  • It may designate a funding source or authorize appropriation adjustments to accommodate the expanded TAG and pilot activities.
  • The bill could include reporting requirements to the legislature on program performance, student outcomes, and financial impact, with milestones or sunset provisions typical of pilot initiatives.

Potential impact

  • Access and affordability: More part-time students could receive need-based aid, potentially increasing enrollment and reducing reliance on private loans.
  • Completion and equity: The pilot program provides data-driven approaches to boost degree attainment and address disparities among student groups.
  • Fiscal considerations: Expansion of TAG and the pilot will require state funding; the bill would predicate allocations on annual appropriations and governance decisions.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to include any available fiscal notes, anticipated funding amounts, or a side-by-side comparison with current TAG provisions based on the latest official text.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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