Higher Education

New Jersey's S 229 requires colleges and universities to collect and publicly report detailed employment outcomes and earnings data for recent graduates, along with other key metrics like graduation rates, costs, and financial aid. Institutions must post annual, disaggregated data (by race, gender, income, and other factors) on their websites, including employment rates, average student debt, and cost projections for different student scenarios. This transparency aims to help prospective students and families compare institutions based on concrete outcomes rather than general information. The law applies to all higher education institutions in New Jersey, with reports due annually and linked directly from application pages. The Secretary of Higher Education will also compile comparative profiles to help students easily evaluate institutions.

This bill makes permanent a requirement that New Jersey high school students (and their parents or guardians) complete a financial aid application as a prerequisite for earning a high school diploma. Currently, this requirement was temporary, applying only to the 2023-2024 grade 11 class and the following school year, but the bill removes the expiration date. Students may be exempt through a waiver signed by a parent/guardian (or by the student if 18+), or with a school counselor’s authorization if a parent signature cannot be obtained. The bill also mandates that the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority provide resources like webinars and guides to schools, students, and families to help complete the application, and requires schools to annually notify students and parents about the requirement.

This New Jersey bill expands the Volunteer Tuition Credit Program to include active members of volunteer fire companies and rescue squads, as well as their spouses and dependent children, allowing them to attend four-year public colleges and universities. Under the new provisions, eligible volunteers must commit to four years of service and maintain a "C" grade average to receive up to $1,000 in tuition credit per year, with a total maximum benefit of $4,000 over the service period. The legislation also clarifies that while tuition is covered, institutions may still charge registration and laboratory fees, and it requires volunteers to submit transcripts annually to verify their academic progress and service.

This bill requires lenders and collectors of private student loans in New Jersey to register with the state's Banking and Insurance Commissioner and pay an associated fee. It defines who counts as a debt collector and establishes specific rules for cosigners, excluding spouses from this definition in certain security contexts. The legislation also sets clear criteria for determining when a borrower is considered totally and permanently disabled, which can affect how their loans are handled. These measures aim to increase oversight of private student loan providers and offer clearer protections for borrowers within the state.

This bill requires New Jersey colleges and universities to collect and publicly report employment outcomes and earnings data for recent graduates using the state's statewide data system. It directly affects all public and private post-secondary institutions in New Jersey by mandating they post this information on their websites, disaggregated by factors like race, income, and gender. Key provisions include annual updates to a "student consumer information report" covering employment data for the three most recent graduation years, alongside other metrics like graduation rates and costs. Institutions must also provide physical copies with admission applications and link to a state-maintained comparative profile. The goal is to give prospective students and families transparent, data-driven insights about post-graduation outcomes.