NJ A1397

Students may elect to use a portion of their Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) or Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) grant during the summer session following the academic year for courses that fulfill graduation requirements or count toward their major

Students must notify the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (for TAG) or the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (for EOF) before the academic year begins, and the disbursement amount during the regular academic year will be reduced accordingly

Using grant funds for summer sessions does not count toward the maximum number of years a student is eligible to receive TAG or EOF grants

HESAA and the Secretary of Higher Education must annually report the number of students who use grants for summer enrollment and compare graduation rates (at 100% and 150% of normal completion time) between students who do and do not use summer session funding

The bill implements a recommendation from the College Affordability Study Commission's September 2016 final report and takes effect immediately, applying to the first full academic year after enactment