New York Senate Bill S06399

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/13/25
• Refer: 3/13/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Expands eligibility for the tuition assistance program by restoring eligibility to graduate students; makes optional semesters, quarters or terms eligible for awards.

Summary

This bill amends New York’s Education Law to expand the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) for graduate students and to clarify how eligibility is counted for both undergraduate and graduate study. It would restore TAP eligibility for graduate students, allowing awards for up to four academic years of graduate study, while limiting a student to no more than one degree program at the master’s, first professional, or doctorate level. It also caps combined undergraduate and graduate TAP eligibility at the equivalent of eight years of study. The bill also changes how optional academic terms are treated. Any optional semester, quarter, or term would count as part of an academic year for purposes of TAP eligibility, but an award for such an optional term would not reduce the maximum term of eligibility. The measure further sets a graduate TAP award formula, with awards based on the lesser of $550 or 100 percent of tuition excluding fees, subject to income-based reductions and a minimum award floor of $75.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would amend Education Law section 667 to broaden access to state tuition aid for graduate students and to modify the calculation of eligibility periods for students taking optional academic terms. It would affect the administration of TAP by the Higher Education Services Corporation and would change how institutions and students track award usage, especially for graduate programs and schools offering nontraditional academic calendars. The bill would also create a specific graduate award structure and income phase-out rules, thereby altering who qualifies for aid and how much they receive.

Sentiment

Based on the bill’s caption and the absence of recorded opposition in the provided materials, the measure appears to be generally supportive of expanding student financial aid, particularly for graduate education. The legislative framing suggests a policy goal of restoring or improving access to TAP rather than restricting it. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented public debate in the supplied materials.

Contention

The main policy issues raised by the text are the cost and scope of extending TAP to graduate students, the new eight-year combined cap on undergraduate and graduate aid, and the treatment of optional terms in eligibility calculations. Potential supporters would likely favor the broader access to graduate aid and the clarification for students on alternative academic calendars, while potential critics could focus on fiscal impact, administrative complexity, and whether graduate aid should be prioritized over other uses of state higher-education funding. No specific objections or named opponents appear in the provided record.