Part-time tuition assistance program awards

§ 667-c. Part-time tuition assistance program awards. 1. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the president of the higher education services corporation is authorized to make tuition assistance program awards to:

a. part-time students enrolled at a degree granting institution of higher education incorporated by the regents or by the legislature who meet all requirements for tuition assistance program awards except for the students' part-time attendance; or

b. part-time students enrolled at a community college or a public agricultural and technical college in a non-degree workforce credential program directly leading to the employment or advancement of a student in a "significant industry" as identified by the department of labor in its three most recent statewide significant industries reports published preceding the student's enrollment in such non-degree workforce credential program. The state university of New York and the city university of New York shall publish and maintain a master list of all eligible non-degree workforce credential program courses and update such list every semester. Eligible non-degree workforce credential programs shall include those programs less than twelve semester hours, or the equivalent, per semester. A student who successfully completes a non-degree workforce credential program and receives part-time tuition assistance program awards pursuant to this paragraph shall be awarded academic credit by the state university of New York or city university of New York upon matriculation into a degree program at such institution, provided that such credit shall be equal to the corresponding credit hours earned in the non-degree workforce credential program.

2. For purposes of this section:

a. for students defined in paragraph a of subdivision one of this section, a part-time student is one who: (i) is enrolled at a college or university within the state university, including a statutory or contract college, a community college established pursuant to article one hundred twenty-six of this chapter, the city university of New York, or a non-profit college or university incorporated by the regents or by the legislature;

(ii) is enrolled for at least three but less than twelve semester hours, or the equivalent, per semester in an approved undergraduate degree program; and

(iii) has a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00.

b. for students defined in paragraph b of subdivision one of this section, a part-time student is one who: (i) meets all requirements for tuition assistance program awards except for the student's part-time attendance and any other requirements that are inconsistent with the student's enrollment in a non-degree workforce credential program; and

(ii) is enrolled in an approved non-degree workforce credential program at a community college or a public agricultural and technical college pursuant to paragraph b of subdivision one of this section.

3. a. For part-time students defined in this section, the award shall be calculated as provided in section six hundred sixty-seven of this article and shall be in an amount equal to the enrollment factor percent of the award the student would have been eligible for if the student were enrolled full-time. For part-time students defined in paragraph a of subdivision one of this section, the enrollment factor percent is the percentage obtained by dividing the number of credits the student is enrolled in, as certified by the school, by the number of credits required for full-time study in the semester, quarter or term as defined by the commissioner. For part-time students defined in paragraph b of subdivision one of this section, the enrollment factor shall be calculated pursuant to regulations established by the higher education services corporation.

b. (i) For part-time students defined in paragraph a of subdivision one of this section, any semester, quarter or term of attendance during which a student receives an award pursuant to this section shall be counted as the enrollment factor percent of a semester, quarter or term toward the maximum term of eligibility for tuition assistance awards pursuant to section six hundred sixty-seven of this article. The total period of study for which payment may be made shall not exceed the equivalent of the maximum period authorized for that award.

(ii) For part-time students defined in paragraph b of subdivision one of this section, the total period of study for which payment may be made shall not exceed the equivalent of the maximum period authorized for the non-degree workforce credential program pursuant to paragraph b of subdivision one of this section.