S 2143 allows veterans who served in the U.S. military under honorable conditions but couldn't complete high school to receive a high school diploma based on their military experience. It repeals outdated provisions and creates a program where the education commissioner develops a process to award diplomas to eligible veterans. The bill directly affects veterans who were unable to finish secondary education due to military service, regardless of the conflict they served in. This replaces prior law that only covered World War II veterans, expanding eligibility to all qualifying veterans.
Relates to tuition scholarship award programs for certain resident and non-resident medical students attending approved medical programs on a full-time basis.
Requires the state to provide state funds to community colleges for additional operating costs associated with an increase in the state minimum wage; requires the board of trustees of community colleges to report to the state comptroller on an annual basis the amount of such additional operating costs.
Enacts the "go green schools act" to assist school districts in converting to renewable energy sources as a primary source of energy; directs NYSERDA to conduct a study and make recommendations for such purpose.
This bill expands the Excelsior Scholarship program to allow recipients to use scholarship funds for room and board expenses, in addition to tuition. Previously, funds covered only tuition costs up to $5,500 annually. The bill specifies that after tuition is paid using other aid (like federal grants), any remaining scholarship amount can cover non-tuition costs like housing, without exceeding the $5,500 total limit. It directly affects New York students receiving the Excelsior Scholarship who face non-tuition education expenses. The change applies to all eligible students at participating public colleges and universities.
This bill proposes to extend the age of eligibility for certain educational programs and benefits for students with disabilities from 21 to 22 years old. It would allow students with disabilities to receive a high school diploma from specific educational facilities or districts until age 22. The bill also permits vocational education and extension boards to provide transportation to career education classes for these students until they turn 22, adjusting related funding mechanisms. Additionally, it updates the definition of "child" for certain educational reporting purposes to include students with disabilities up to age 22.
Establishes a novel virus essential workers scholarship program to award annual scholarships to essential employees who worked during the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or during the outbreak of another novel virus and children of essential employees who have died as a result of contracting COVID-19 or another novel virus.
This bill blocks the approval of charter school conversion applications for public schools that have a documented pattern of serious violations of employee rights under civil service law. Specifically, it prohibits approval if a school interfered with or discriminated against employees' rights (as determined by the Public Employment Relations Board), based on violations of Section 209-a of the civil service law. The restriction applies only to conversions of existing public schools to charter schools, not to new charter applications. Schools with such violations may still submit future applications, but their current conversion request cannot be approved.
This bill allows community colleges that currently offer associate degree nursing programs to also provide four-year bachelor's degree nursing programs. It directly affects these community colleges and their nursing students by expanding educational pathways without requiring separate state approval. The key provision amends education law to remove existing barriers, stating community colleges may offer the four-year degree "notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation." This creates a clear legal mechanism for colleges to expand nursing education at their campuses. The bill is pending in the Higher Education committee as of March 2025.
This bill prohibits any fee for admission to exams that award a high school equivalency diploma in New York State. It directly affects students seeking these diplomas, including those in correctional facilities or preparing through state-approved programs. The key provision (Section 317-a) explicitly bans fees for these exams, ensuring cost barriers are removed for test-takers. The bill amends multiple education and correction laws to align with this fee prohibition but does not change eligibility requirements for the diploma itself.
