Education in New Jersey

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1458: Requires four-year public institutions of higher education to provide on website certain information on online degree students and graduate degree students.

This bill requires New Jersey's four-year public colleges to post detailed, publicly accessible information about online and graduate degree programs on their websites. It mandates specific data including costs (tuition, fees, housing, books), graduation rates broken down by demographics and major, student loan debt statistics disaggregated by race, income, and other factors, faculty composition, and online course offerings. The information must be updated annually and linked from application pages, with separate reporting for on-campus, commuting, and online students. This directly affects students researching degree options and families making enrollment decisions, providing transparency about program costs and outcomes.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2807: Establishes New Jersey Community Learning Program in DOE to provide comprehensive after school programs in certain communities; dedicates portion of State cannabis revenue to support program.

This bill establishes a New Jersey Community Learning Program within the Department of Education to fund comprehensive after-school programs in specific "impact districts" - communities with high historical rates of cannabis-related arrests, poverty, and unemployment. It directly affects school districts in these designated areas, requiring them to create after-school programs offering academic support and enrichment during non-school hours. The program will be funded entirely by dedicating a portion of New Jersey’s cannabis tax revenue to a new "Community Learning Assistance Fund," with funds distributed annually to impact districts to cover all program costs. Districts must submit detailed program plans for approval by the Education Commissioner before implementation, and funding is contingent on annual state appropriations from the cannabis revenue fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Revenue Drug Policy

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1058: Establishes the "Domestic Violence Tuition Waiver Program."

New Jersey's S 1058 establishes the "Domestic Violence Tuition Waiver Program," providing one semester of tuition waiver at public colleges or vocational schools for victims of domestic violence who were unable to complete their studies due to the violence. To qualify, applicants must be documented victims (with a restraining order or prosecutor's statement), have been enrolled at a New Jersey public institution when the violence occurred, submit an affidavit, re-enroll in a similar program within two years, and meet admission requirements. The state reimburses institutions for the waived tuition, and applicants can receive only one waiver. The program applies immediately upon enactment and is administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Higher Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

SCR 44: Proposes constitutional amendment to broaden powers of the Council on Local Mandates.

SCR 44 proposes a constitutional amendment to expand the Council on Local Mandates' authority in New Jersey. The amendment would allow the Council to review **all existing state laws, rules, and regulations** (not just those enacted after 1996) for unfunded mandates - costs imposed on local governments like school districts, counties, and municipalities without dedicated funding. It would also require the Council to examine **pending legislative bills** before they pass to identify potential unfunded mandates. The Council, composed of nine members appointed through a specific political process, would make non-binding recommendations to the Legislature about eliminating or modifying such mandates. This directly affects local governments facing unfunded state requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1999: Establishes New Jersey Higher Education Student Advisory Commission.

This bill establishes the New Jersey Higher Education Student Advisory Commission, a 15-member body composed of student representatives from all types of New Jersey colleges and universities (including public, independent, county, and proprietary institutions). The commission advises the state education secretary on student concerns and annually reports to the legislature on student perspectives, experiences, and potential policy recommendations. It creates a formal channel for student input into higher education decisions, with members appointed based on institutional representation and geographic balance. The commission does not create new policies but provides structured student feedback to state education officials and lawmakers.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Higher Education

passed · New Jersey · Senate Jun 15, 2026

S 1340: Requires Commissioner of Education to develop guidance on accommodations for certain students fasting for religious or medical reasons.*

This bill allows public high school students in New Jersey who observe Ramadan to opt out of required physical education classes and sports participation during the holy month. Students may substitute PE with an instructional course or study hall (earning equivalent graduation credits) by submitting written notice to their principal before scheduling. Student-athletes may also be excused from sports or cheerleading programs by notifying their coach, with coaches prohibited from penalizing such absences. The policy specifically accommodates Muslim students' religious obligation to fast during Ramadan, without exempting them from other required health education courses.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1456: Establishes commission to advise Secretary of Higher Education on student issues of concern.

S 1456 establishes the New Jersey Higher Education Student Advisory Commission to directly advise the state's Secretary of Higher Education on student concerns. The 14-member commission includes student representatives from all major higher education sectors (state colleges, public research universities, county colleges, independent colleges, and private career colleges), appointed by the Secretary based on applications detailing campus leadership experience. The commission must address system-wide student issues like college affordability, mental health, and campus safety, and annually report its findings and recommendations to the state's Higher Education Committees. This bill creates a formal, student-driven advisory body to inform state education policy decisions.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Higher Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2104: Extends requirements on use of restraint and seclusion to all students; requires immediate parental notification; requires DOE to collect and report data regarding use of restraint and seclusion on students.

This bill (S 2104) expands New Jersey's existing restrictions on physical restraint and seclusion in schools to apply to **all students**, not just those with disabilities. It requires schools to **notify parents immediately** (via phone/electronic message) when restraint or seclusion is used, followed by a written report within 48 hours, and to hold meetings if a student is subjected to these methods repeatedly. Schools must also **collect detailed data** on all incidents (including duration, type, and student demographics like race, gender, and disability type) and submit it annually to the Department of Education (DOE), which will publish the data publicly. The bill aims to increase transparency and safety by mandating consistent monitoring, documentation, and data-driven review of restraint/seclusion use across all public schools.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics School Safety Special Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2188: Expands category of nonresident children who school district may enroll without payment of tuition.

This bill (S 2188) aims to expand the categories of nonresident children that New Jersey school districts may enroll without requiring tuition payments. It amends existing law to broaden eligibility for tuition-free enrollment, directly affecting nonresident families seeking school placements in New Jersey districts. The bill's text provided focuses on defining terms like "at-risk pupils" and "district income" but does not specify the new category or exact enrollment mechanisms. Key policy changes cannot be detailed from the truncated context, as the substantive expansion of the nonresident enrollment category is not described in the provided text. The bill was introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026, and referred to the Education Committee.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Immigration

Sub-Topics Higher Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 3129: Establishes Co-Curricular Activity Emergency Grant Program to support operations of co-curricular activities at public schools; appropriates $750,000.

S 3129 creates a $750,000 emergency grant program within New Jersey's Department of Education to support public school co-curricular activities, such as debate clubs, theater, and music programs, which operate outside regular school hours and supplement students' academic experiences. School districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools can apply for grants to fund specific activities, with priority given to those most impacted by pandemic-related revenue losses. The program requires applicants to specify which activities the funds will support, and the Commissioner of Education determines grant amounts and eligibility. This legislation directly affects public schools and their students by providing emergency financial support for non-academic, extracurricular programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

All education bills