Bill
S 4909
Establishes the New York State Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program to fund master's degrees for teachers who commit to teaching in state public schools.
Status: Substituted by A5685A (6/10/2025)
Introduced: November 24, 2025
Sponsor (Senate): Sen. Paul A. Sarlo (Dist. 36, Bergen & Passaic)
Referred to: Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee; earlier referred to Higher Education
Companion/Related: A5685 / A5685A (substitute); several prior‑session related bills listed
Important note on source materials
- The document text provided with this request is corrupted (contains PDF stream data and metadata) and does not include a readable legislative text for S.4909A. The bill title and procedural history above are drawn from the bill header and legislative actions you provided.
- The bill was SUBSTITUTED BY A5685A on 2025-06-10; the substitute (A5685A) is therefore the version likely containing the enacted or final language. To review exact provisions, consult the full text of A5685A or the official legislative web site.
Purpose / intent (based on bill title)
- The bill concerns the New York State Masters‑in‑Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program. Generally, bills with this title seek to create, modify, expand, or provide funding/administration rules for scholarships designed to incentivize individuals to obtain a master’s degree in education and enter or remain in the teaching profession—often with a focus on high‑need subject areas or schools.
What the bill likely addresses (typical elements)
- Eligibility criteria: who qualifies for the scholarship (e.g., prospective or current teachers, residency, commitment to teach in NY public schools, service obligation).
- Award amount and duration: annual scholarship size, total award limits, tuition coverage, stipends.
- Service commitment: required period of teaching service in exchange for scholarship (and repayment/penalty rules for failure to fulfill).
- Administration: which state agency or program will administer the scholarships (e.g., State Education Department, Higher Education Services Corporation), application and selection procedures.
- Funding and appropriation language: source of funds, authorization for appropriation, possible caps on number of awards.
- Reporting and oversight: requirements for tracking outcomes, compliance, and program evaluation.
Potentially affected parties
- Prospective and current teachers seeking master’s degrees in education.
- Higher education institutions (schools of education) that enroll scholarship recipients.
- Public school districts that may receive teacher hires as a result of the program.
- State agencies charged with administering scholarships and monitoring compliance.
- State budget/appropriations (if the bill authorizes or increases funding).
Procedural timeline and next steps
- Introduced 11/24/2025; referred to Higher Education, then to Budget & Appropriations per record.
- Print number 4909A issued (5/2/2025). Advanced to third reading in May 2025; subsequently substituted by A5685A on 6/10/2025. A substitute means the Assembly bill (A5685A) replaced or superseded S.4909A’s language.
- For definitive provisions and fiscal details, review A5685A (the substituted text) and the final legislative history on the New York Senate/Assembly websites.
Discrepancy noted
- The synopsis line appearing in the provided metadata (“Increases property tax assessment appeal filing fees”) appears unrelated to the bill title about a masters‑in‑education scholarship and may reflect a metadata error. Verify the final text (A5685A) to determine the correct subject matter.
Recommended action
- Consult the full text of A5685A and any fiscal notes or bill memos to determine precise eligibility, award amounts, funding sources, service obligations, and estimated fiscal impact. Check committee reports for legislative intent and any amendments.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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