NY Educ L § 679-H (2021)
2021 New York Laws EDN - Education Title 1 - General Provisions Article 14 - New York State Higher Education Services Corporation Part 2 - Student Financial Aid Sub Part 4 - Other Awards 679-H - New York State Child Welfare Worker Incentive Scholarship Program.

§  679-h.  New  York  state child welfare worker incentive scholarship   program. 1. Purpose. The president shall grant  scholarship  awards  for   the  purpose  of  enhancing  the  proficiency  of  current child welfare   workers in New York state. Such awards shall be made  on  a  competitive   basis   to   applicants  who  are  currently  employed  at  a  voluntary   not-for-profit child welfare agency in New York state  licensed  by  the   office  of  children  and family services, or employed within such state   agency as a child welfare worker, with at least  two  years'  experience   and  are  enrolling  in an approved program to obtain a degree that will   enhance their ability to work in such agency.2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this  section,   applicants shall: a. be currently employed at a voluntary not-for-profit   child  welfare  agency  in  New  York  state  licensed  by the office of   children and family services, with  at  least  two  years  of  qualified   experience;b.  be  matriculated in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at   an institution of higher education located within New York  state  in  a   program of study that would enhance their ability to work in such agency   as determined by the president;c. agree to work in a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare agency in   New York state licensed by the office of children and family services as   a child welfare worker on a full time basis for a period of no less than   five  continuous  years  upon completion of such degree program within a   reasonable period of time and maintain residency in New York  state  for   such period of employment; andd.  comply  with  subdivisions  three  and five of section six hundred   sixty-one of this part.3. Award conditions and requirements. a. Within  amounts  appropriated   therefore  and  based  on  availability  of funds, scholarships shall be   granted beginning with  the  two  thousand  seventeen  --  two  thousand   eighteen  academic  year  and  thereafter  on  a  competitive  basis  to   applicants whom the corporation has certified are  eligible  to  receive   such  awards;  and who agree to work in a voluntary not-for-profit child   welfare agency in New York state licensed by the office of children  and   family  services  as  a  child welfare worker on a full time basis for a   period of no less than five continuous years  upon  completion  of  such   degree  within a reasonable period of time and maintain residency in New   York state for such period of employment.b. An applicant must make every reasonable effort to obtain employment   in a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare agency  in  New  York  state   licensed  by  the  office  of  children  and  family services as a child   welfare worker upon graduation.4. Amount. The corporation shall grant such awards within the  amounts   appropriated  for  such  purpose  and  based  on  availability  of funds   according to a schedule to  be  determined  by  the  corporation  in  an   amount:a.  equal  to the tuition charged to state resident students attending   an undergraduate or graduate degree program, as applicable, at the state   university of New York; the average mandatory fees charged at the  state   university  of  New  York, or the actual tuition and fees charged to the   recipient, whichever is  less;  and  the  average  non-tuition  cost  of   attendance,  as  determined  by  the  corporation and as approved by the   director of the budget, for a student at the  state  university  of  New   York  or  actual  non-tuition  cost  of  attendance at such institution,   whichever is less provided that the  scholarship  shall  not  exceed  an   amount  that  is  equal  to  the total cost of attendance determined for   federal  Title  IV  student  financial  aid  purposes,  less  all  other   scholarships  and  grants  provided by New York state, other states, the    federal government, or other governments, and the amount of  educational   benefits  paid  under  any  program that would duplicate the purposes of   this program, provided that any scholarships or  grants  provided  to  a   recipient  by  the institution which are intended to fund any portion of   the difference between the annual state award and the  actual  costs  of   attendance  at any such institution shall not be considered to duplicate   the purposes of this program.b. not to exceed twenty thousand dollars for a master's degree program   at a private institution; the average  mandatory  fees  charged  at  the   private  institution,  or  the  actual  tuition  and fees charged to the   recipient, whichever is  less;  and  the  average  non-tuition  cost  of   attendance,  as  determined  by  the  corporation and as approved by the   director of the budget, for a student at  such  private  institution  or   actual  non-tuition cost of attendance at such institution, whichever is   less, provided that the scholarship shall not exceed an amount  that  is   equal  to  the  total cost of attendance determined for federal Title IV   student financial aid purposes, less all other scholarships  and  grants   provided  by  New  York  state, other states, the federal government, or   other governments, and the amount of educational benefits paid under any   program that would duplicate the purposes of this program, provided that   any scholarships or grants provided to a recipient  by  the  institution   which  are  intended  to  fund any portion of the difference between the   annual state award and the  actual  costs  of  attendance  at  any  such   institution  shall  not  be considered to duplicate the purposes of this   program.5. Other awards. Award recipients shall be eligible to apply for other   awards.6. Duration. An award shall entitle the recipient to  annual  payments   for either an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree.   An  eligible recipient enrolled in an eligible two year program of study   shall not receive an award for more than two academic years. An eligible   recipient enrolled in an eligible undergraduate program of  study  shall   not  receive an award for more than four academic years of undergraduate   study or five academic years if the program of study  normally  requires   five  years.  An  eligible  recipient  enrolled in a graduate program of   study shall not receive an award  for  more  than  two  academic  years.   Notwithstanding,   such  duration  may  be  extended  for  an  allowable   interruption of study as determined by the corporation.7. Penalties for noncompliance. a. The  corporation  may  collect  the   full  amount of the award given pursuant to this section, plus interest,   according to a schedule to be determined by the corporation, if: (i) the   recipient fails to complete their degree  program  within  a  reasonable   time  as  determined  by  the  corporation;  or  (ii) one year after the   completion of the degree program it is found that a  recipient  did  not   begin  full-time  employment at a voluntary not-for-profit child welfare   agency in New York state licensed by the office of children  and  family   services  as  a  child  welfare  worker; or (iii) the recipient fails to   complete five continuous years of full-time employment  at  a  voluntary   not-for-profit  child welfare agency in the state licensed by the office   of children and family services as a child welfare  worker  or  maintain   residency  in  New York state for such period of employment; or (iv) the   recipient fails to respond to requests by the corporation for the status   of  his  or  her  academic  or  professional  progress.  The  terms  and   conditions of this subdivision shall be deferred for any interruption in   an  undergraduate  or graduate study or employment as established by the   rules and regulations of the corporation. Any obligation to comply  with   such  provisions as outlined in this section shall be cancelled upon the   death  of  the  recipient.  Notwithstanding  any  provisions   of   this    subdivision to the contrary, the corporation is authorized to promulgate   rules  and  regulations  necessary  for  the waiver of suspension of any   financial obligation which would involve extreme hardship.8. Recipient selection. The president may establish:a. an application deadline; andb.  a  method  of  selecting recipients if in any given year there are   insufficient funds to cover the needs of all  applicants  and  returning   recipients.9.  Rules and regulations. The corporation is authorized to promulgate   rules  and  regulations,  and  may  promulgate  emergency   regulations,   necessary  for  the  implementation  of  the  provisions of this section   including, but not limited to, the criteria to distributing the  awards,   which  may  include a lottery or other form of random selection, and the   rate of interest charges for repayment of the student loan.