N.J. Admin. Code § 9A:9-2.1

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 9A:9-2.1 - Undergraduate enrollment and eligible institutions

(a) Students must have received a high school diploma or recognized equivalent of a high school diploma as defined by 34 CFR 600.2 and be enrolled or plan to be enrolled as full-time undergraduate students matriculated in a curriculum leading to a degree or certificate in an eligible institution as defined at (b), (c), and (d) below in order to be eligible for student assistance, unless the specific student assistance program permits part-time enrollment. Students possessing an Associate degree are not eligible for student assistance at that degree level. Students possessing a Baccalaureate degree are not eligible for student assistance at the Associate or Baccalaureate level. Certification of full-time status is the responsibility of the enrolling institution based on the current institutional definition of full-time status and subject to review and approval by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (Authority).

(b) An eligible institution means an institution of higher education that:

1. Physically establishes and maintains, at its expense, a financial aid office with a full-time staff and file maintenance capacity in New Jersey, subject to audit and review by the Authority;

2. Is licensed by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, or its successor office;

3. Is not licensed as an "out-of-State" institution pursuant to N.J.A.C. 9A:1-5;

4. Is accredited or preaccredited by a nationally recognized accrediting association;

5. Upon commencing participation in the State financial aid programs:

i. Annually provides the Authority with detailed information on the graduation rates of State Tuition Aid Grant recipients and, in the case of county colleges, provides information on the transfer rates of State Tuition Aid Grant recipients, in the format provided by the Authority; and

ii. Beginning with academic year 2022-2023, provides a financial aid shopping sheet, as prescribed at N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-6b, to each prospective and returning student as part of the financial aid offer to provide students and their families with clear information on the net costs of attendance after application of grants and scholarships, loan options, and estimated debt that the student will incur to attend the institution; and

6. Does not require the student to:

i. Submit to an agreement to arbitrate or to an arbitration proceeding to resolve any matter thereafter relating to the student's enrollment prior to the commencement of any legal action;

ii. Resolve a complaint relating to the student's enrollment through an internal dispute process;

iii. Waive any right, forum, or procedure afforded to the student, including any right to file and pursue a civil action, class action, or a complaint with, or otherwise notify, any State agency, other public prosecutor, law enforcement agency, or any court or other governmental entity of any alleged violation of the student's rights; or

iv. Be prohibited from disclosing, discussing, describing, or commenting upon the terms of the student's enrollment agreement, or any violation of the student's enrollment agreement.

(c) Eligible institutions shall also include proprietary institutions in New Jersey that meet the requirements of (b)1, 4, and 5 above, but only for degree granting programs, as licensed by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, or its successor office, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 9A:1-4.

(d) An eligible institution seeking to participate in the Tuition Aid Grant Program or expand its participation by adding a branch campus or changing its programmatic mission shall:

1. Submit a written request to the Authority no later than August 31 of the calendar year prior to the fall semester of the succeeding calendar year during which the institution wishes to begin or expand participation;

2. Provide documentation that the institution, branch campus, or expanded programmatic mission has been approved by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, or its successor office, and that the institution is authorized to participate in Title IV Federal student aid programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and its implementing regulations; and

3. Provide an estimate of the number of potential Tuition Aid Grant recipients during the first four years of program participation.

N.J. Admin. Code § 9A:9-2.1

Amended by 46 N.J.R. 2354(a), effective 12/1/2014

Amended by 52 N.J.R. 469(a), effective 3/2/2020

Amended by 54 N.J.R. 1077(a), effective 6/6/2022