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Bill

S 5795

Provides excelsior scholarships for low-income law students

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brad Hoylman-Sigal and 2 co-sponsors

Extends Excelsior Scholarships to low-income law students, covering tuition and fees to broaden access to legal education and increase diversity in the profession.

REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · S 5795

S 5795 — Provides excelsior scholarships for low-income law students

Overview

S 5795 is a bill introduced on March 3, 2025 and referred to the Higher Education committee. The bill’s stated aim is to extend the Excelsior Scholarship program to low-income students pursuing law degrees, thereby expanding access to legal education.

Purpose and Intent

  • Create or authorize Excelsior Scholarships specifically for low-income individuals enrolled in law programs.
  • Promote affordability and broaden participation in the legal profession by reducing or eliminating tuition barriers for eligible law students.
  • Align with broader workforce and education-access goals by supporting students who may become graduates of public or state-supported institutions.

Key Provisions (conceptual, as text-specific details are not provided here)

  • Eligibility: The bill would establish criteria for qualifying as a low-income law student (e.g., income thresholds, residency requirements). The exact thresholds and qualifying conditions would be defined in the bill.
  • Covered Costs: The scholarship would address tuition-related costs for law school; the bill would specify which costs are covered (tuition, and possibly mandatory fees) and any limits.
  • Eligible Institutions: The program would apply to law schools within the scope of the Excelsior framework (likely including state-supported and/or public law schools in New York).
  • Funding and Administration: Creation of funding mechanisms and oversight, likely administered through the Higher Education section or a related state agency, with annual appropriations and implementation rules.
  • Renewal and Obligations: Potential renewal criteria, duration of support, and any post-graduation service, residency, or repayment obligations (e.g., practice in-state for a certain period) that may accompany the scholarship.
  • Reporting and Evaluation: Requirements for performance metrics, enrollment data, and program impact reporting to oversight bodies.
  • Relation to Existing Programs: Coordination with the existing Excelsior Scholarship framework and any necessary amendments to ensure consistency across undergraduate and graduate-level support.

Affected Parties

  • Low-income students seeking law degrees in New York.
  • Public or state-supported law schools serving eligible students.
  • The Higher Education department or agency that would administer the scholarship program.
  • State budget and educational policy planners monitoring affordability and access in legal education.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Status: Introduced and referred to the Higher Education committee on March 3, 2025. The bill has not advanced beyond committee at this time.
  • Stability and Next Steps: If advanced, it would move through committee considerations, potential amendments, and floor votes. A related measure from a prior session is listed as S 8593, indicating ongoing interest in expanding Excelsior to law education.

Potential Impact

  • Positive: Expanded affordability for aspiring lawyers from low-income backgrounds; greater diversity in the legal profession; potential long-term benefits to access to legal services and public interest work.
  • Considerations: Fiscal cost to fund scholarships; design of eligibility and obligations to balance access with program sustainability; alignment with broader doctoral/graduate-level scholarship policies within the Excelsior framework.

Note: This summary reflects the information available in the bill’s overview. Specific statutory text would provide precise eligibility criteria, funding amounts, terms, and administration details.

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

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