S 3369: Relates to allowing for students in certain postsecondary education experience or transition programs to receive awards from the tuition assistance program.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3369 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 27, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. SKOUFIS, GOUNARDES, JACKSON, LIU, RAMOS, RHOADS, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to allowing for students in postsecondary education experience or transition program to receive awards from the tuition assistance program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 602 of the education law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 5 to read as follows: 3 5. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations allowing 4 for students enrolled in an approved postsecondary education experience 5 or transition program to receive financial assistance from the tuition 6 assistance program. 7 § 2. Section 667 of the education law is amended by adding a new 8 subdivision 4 to read as follows: 9 4. Postsecondary education experience or transition programs. a. 10 Notwithstanding subdivisions one, two and three of this section, the 11 president shall make awards to students with intellectual disabilities 12 in approved postsecondary education experience or transition programs in 13 the same manner as students enrolled in an approved program at a 14 degree-granting institution including the same income limits and awards 15 for each year. 16 b. An approved postsecondary education experience or transition 17 program shall: 18 (i) serve students with intellectual disabilities; 19 (ii) provide individual supports and services for the academic and 20 social inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in academic 21 courses, extracurricular activities, and other aspects of the institu- 22 tion of higher education's regular postsecondary program; 23 (iii) provide a focus on: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06983-01-5 
 S. 3369 2 1 (A) academic enrichment; 2 (B) socialization; 3 (C) independent living skills, including self-advocacy skills; and 4 (D) integrated work experiences and career skills that lead to gainful 5 employment; 6 (iv) integrate person-centered planning in the development of the 7 course of study for each student with an intellectual disability; 8 (v) create and offer a meaningful credential for students with intel- 9 lectual disabilities upon the completion of the postsecondary education 10 experience or transition program; and 11 (vi) be a federally approved comprehensive transition and postsecon- 12 dary program. 13 c. For the purposes of this subdivision, "students with intellectual 14 disabilities" shall mean a student with an impairment of general intel- 15 lectual functioning or adaptive behavior which constitutes a substantial 16 handicap to the student's ability to function normally in society and 17 which has originated at any point in the student's life. 18 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.