Bill
S 2385
Raises the annual tuition credit for volunteer firefighters and first aid/rescue members from $600 to $1,250, up to $5,000 over four years.
Status (as reflected in committee materials): Favorably reported by the New Jersey Senate Higher Education Committee (statement dated Feb 10, 2025). Text amends P.L.1998, c.145. If enacted, the act takes effect immediately.
Purpose
- To increase the tuition credit available under New Jersey’s volunteer tuition‑credit program as an incentive to recruit and retain volunteer fire company and volunteer first aid/rescue squad members.
Key provisions
- Raises the per‑year tuition credit from $600 to $1,250 for each year of qualifying volunteer service.
- Raises the maximum cumulative tuition credit over the required four‑year service period from $2,400 to $5,000 (i.e., up to $1,250 per year × 4 years).
- Maintains existing eligibility conditions: the recipient must be an active member in good standing of a volunteer fire company or volunteer first aid or rescue squad/association and must sign an agreement with the municipality pledging a minimum of four years of service in exchange for the credit.
- Applies to the volunteer, the volunteer’s spouse, and dependent children for enrollment in postsecondary programs at county colleges, county vocational schools, or county technical institutes — subject to available classroom space and any required registration or lab fees.
- Effective immediately upon enactment.
Who is affected
- Primary beneficiaries: active volunteer fire company members and active volunteer first aid or rescue squad members (in good standing), plus their spouses and dependent children who enroll at eligible county postsecondary institutions.
- Institutions: county colleges, county vocational schools, and county technical institutes (these institutions may lose tuition revenue for affected enrollments but retain ability to charge certain fees).
- Municipalities: obligated to enter agreements with volunteers and may see changes in volunteer recruitment/retention dynamics.
- State/local fiscal impact: not specified in the bill text; raising the credit increases potential foregone tuition revenue for county institutions and may have modest budgetary implications for counties/municipalities depending on uptake.
Procedural/timeline notes and source caveat
- Committee statement and bill text amending C.18A:71‑78.1/78.2 are dated Feb 10, 2025 and indicate the bill was reported out of committee. The version text shows immediate effect.
- The source materials provided also include unrelated or conflicting items (a Massachusetts bill with the same number and various legislative action entries and sponsor lists from different jurisdictions). Readers should confirm the jurisdiction (New Jersey) and consult the official New Jersey legislative website for the most current bill text, fiscal note, and status.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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