This regulation implements a statutory student financial aid program providing for awards to be made to students beginning with the fall 2016 term, which generally starts in August. Emergency adoption is necessary to avoid an adverse impact on the processing of awards to eligible scholarship applicants. The statute provides for tuition benefits to college-going students attending a New York State public institution of higher education who pursue a graduate program of study in an education program leading to a career as a teacher in public elementary or secondary education. Decisions on applications for this Program are made prior to the beginning of the term. Therefore, it is critical that the terms of the program as provided in the regulation be effective immediately so that students can make informed choices and in order for HESC to process scholarship applications in a timely manner. To accomplish this mandate, the statute further provides for HESC to promulgate emergency regulations to implement the program. For these reasons, compliance with section 202(1) of the State Administrative Procedure Act would be contrary to the public interest.

(1) Academic excellence shall mean the attainment of a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher upon completion of an undergraduate program of study from a college or university located within New York State.

(2) Approved master’s degree in education program shall mean a program registered at a New York State public institution of higher education pursuant to Part 52 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

(3) Award shall mean a New York State Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program award pursuant to section 669-f of the New York State education law.

(4) Classroom instruction shall mean elementary and secondary education instruction, as required by the New York State Education Department, including enrichment and supplemental instruction that may be offered to a subset of students. Classroom instruction shall not include support services, such as counseling, speech therapy or occupational therapy services.

(5) Elementary and secondary education shall mean pre-kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school recognized by the board of regents or the university of the state of New York, including charter schools authorized pursuant to article fifty-six of the education law.

(6) Full-time study shall mean the number of credits required by the institution in each term of the approved master’s degree in education program. A recipient may complete fewer credits than required for full-time study if he or she is in their last term and fewer credit hours are necessary to complete their degree program. In this case, the award amount shall be based on the tuition reported by the institution.

(7) Initial certification shall mean any certification issued pursuant to part 80 of this title which allows the recipient to teach in a classroom setting on a full-time basis.

(8) Interruption in graduate study or employment shall mean an allowable temporary period of leave for a definitive length of time due to circumstances approved by the corporation, including, but not limited to, maternity/paternity leave, death of a family member, or military duty.

(9) Program shall mean the New York State Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program codified in section 669-f of the education law.

(10) Public institution of higher education shall mean the state university of New York, as defined in subdivision 3 of section 352 of the education law, or the city university of New York as defined in subdivision 2 of section 6202 of the education law.

(11) Rank shall mean an applicant’s position, relative to all other applicants, based on cumulative grade point average upon completion of an undergraduate program of study from a college or university located within New York State.

(12) School year shall mean the period commencing on the first day of July in each year and ending on the thirtieth day of June next following.

(13) Successful completion of a term shall mean that at the end of any academic term, the recipient: (i) met the eligibility requirements for the award pursuant to sections 661 and 669-f of the Education Law; (ii) maintained full-time status as defined in this section; and (iii) possessed a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher as of the date of the certification by the institution.

(14) Teach in a classroom setting on a full-time basis shall mean continuous employment providing classroom instruction in a public elementary or secondary school, including charter schools, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and public pre-kindergarten programs, located within New York State, for at least 10 continuous months, each school year, for a number of hours to be determined by the labor contract between the teacher and employer, or if none of the above apply, the chief administrator of the school.

(1) First priority shall be given to applicants who have received payment of an award pursuant to section 669-f of the education law for the academic year immediately preceding the academic year for which payment is sought and have successfully completed the academic term for which payment is sought. First priority shall include applicants who received payment of an award pursuant to section 669-f of the education law, were subsequently granted an interruption in graduate study by the corporation for the academic year immediately preceding the academic year for which payment is sought and have successfully completed the academic term for which payment is sought. If there are more applicants than available funds, recipients shall be chosen by lottery.

(2) Second priority shall be given to up to five hundred new applicants, within the remaining funds available for the Program, if any. If there are more applicants than available funds, recipients shall be chosen by rank, starting at the applicant with the highest cumulative grade point average beginning in the 2016-17 academic year. In the event of a tie, distribution of any remaining funds shall be done by lottery.

(1) Applicants for an award shall apply for program eligibility at such times, on forms and in a manner prescribed by the corporation. The corporation may require applicants to provide additional documentation evidencing eligibility.

(2) Recipients of an award shall:

(i) execute a service contract prescribed by the corporation;

(ii) request payment at such times, on forms and in a manner specified by the corporation;

(iii) receive such awards for not more than four academic terms, or its equivalent, of full-time graduate study leading to certification as a public elementary or secondary classroom teacher, including charter schools, excluding any allowable interruption of study;

(iv) facilitate the submission of information from their employer attesting to the recipient’s job title, the full-time work status of the recipient, and any other information necessary for the corporation to determine compliance with the program’s employment requirements on forms and in a manner prescribed by the corporation; and

(v) provide any other information necessary for the corporation to determine compliance with the program’s requirements.

(1) The amount of the award shall be determined in accordance with section 669-f of the education law.

(2) Disbursements shall be made each term to institutions, on behalf of recipients, within a reasonable time upon successful completion of the term subject to the verification and certification by the institution of the recipient’s grade point average and other eligibility requirements.

(3) Awards shall be reduced by the value of other educational grants and scholarships limited to tuition, as authorized by section 669-f of the education law.

(1) All award monies received shall be converted to a 10-year student loan plus interest for recipients who fail to meet the statutory, regulatory, contractual, administrative or other requirement of this program.

(2) The interest rate for the life of the loan shall be fixed and equal to that published annually by the U.S. Department of Education for undergraduate unsubsidized Stafford loans at the time the recipient signed the service contract with the corporation.

(3) Interest shall begin to accrue on the day each award payment is disbursed to the institution.

(4) Interest shall be capitalized on the day the award recipient violates any term of the service contract or the date the corporation deems the recipient was no longer able or willing to perform the terms of the service contract. Interest on this capitalized amount shall continue to accrue and be calculated using simple interest until the amount is paid in full.

(5) Where a recipient has demonstrated extreme hardship as a result of a disability, labor market conditions, or other such circumstances, the corporation may, in its discretion, postpone converting the award to a student loan, temporarily suspend repayment of the amount owed, prorate the amount owed commensurate with service completed, discharge the amount owed, or take such other appropriate action.

Statutory authority:

The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation’s (“HESC”) statutory authority to promulgate regulations and administer the New York State Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program (“Program”) is codified within Article 14 of the Education Law. In particular, Subpart A of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2015 created the Program by adding a new section 669-f to the Education Law. Subdivision 6 of section 669-f of the Education Law authorizes HESC to promulgate emergency regulations for the purpose of administering this Program.

Pursuant to Education Law § 652(2), HESC was established for the purpose of improving the post-secondary educational opportunities of eligible students through the centralized administration of New York State financial aid programs and coordinating the State’s administrative effort in student financial aid programs with those of other levels of government.

In addition, Education Law § 653(9) empowers HESC’s Board of Trustees to perform such other acts as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the objectives and purposes of the corporation including the promulgation of rules and regulations.

HESC’s President is authorized, under Education Law § 655(4), to propose rules and regulations, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees, governing, among other things, the application for and the granting and administration of student aid and loan programs, the repayment of loans or the guarantee of loans made by HESC; and administrative functions in support of state student aid programs. Also, consistent with Education Law § 655(9), HESC’s President is authorized to receive assistance from any Division, Department or Agency of the State in order to properly carry out his or her powers, duties and functions. Finally, Education Law § 655(12) provides HESC’s President with the authority to perform such other acts as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out effectively the general objects and purposes of HESC.

Legislative objectives:

The Education Law was amended to add a new section 669-f to create the “New York State Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program” (Program). The objective of this Program is to incent New York’s highest-achieving undergraduate students to pursue teaching as a profession.

Needs and benefits:

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, many experts call teacher quality the most important school-based factor affecting learning. Studies underscore the impact of highly effective teachers and the need to put them in classrooms with struggling students to help them catch up. To improve teacher quality, New York State has significantly raised the bar by modifying the three required exams and adding the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment, known as edTPA, as part of the licensing requirement for all teachers. To supplement this effort, this Program aims to incentivize top undergraduate students to pursue their master’s degree in New York State and teach in public elementary and secondary schools (including charter schools) across the State.

The Program provides for annual tuition awards to students enrolled full-time, at a New York State public institution of higher education, in a master’s degree in education program leading to a career as a classroom teacher in elementary or secondary education. Eligible recipients may receive annual awards for not more than two academic years of full-time graduate study. The maximum amount of the award is equal to the annual tuition charged to New York State resident students attending a graduate program full-time at the State University of New York (SUNY). Payments will be made directly to schools on behalf of students upon certification of their successful completion of the academic term.

Students receiving a New York State Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program award must sign a service agreement and agree to teach in the classroom at a New York State public elementary or secondary school, which includes charter schools, for five years following completion of their master’s degree. Recipients who do not fulfill their service obligation will have the value of their awards converted to a student loan and be responsible for interest.

Costs:

a. There are no application fees, processing fees, or other costs to the applicants of this Program.

b. It is anticipated that there will be no costs to the agency for the implementation of, or continuing compliance with this rule.

c. The maximum cost of the Program to the State is $1.5 million in the first year, based upon budget estimates.

d. It is anticipated that there will be no costs to Local Governments for the implementation of, or continuing compliance with, this rule.

e. The source of the cost data in (c) above is derived from the New York State Division of the Budget.

Local government mandates:

No program, service, duty or responsibility will be imposed by this rule upon any county, city, town, village, school district, fire district or other special district.

Paperwork:

This proposal will require applicants to file an electronic application, together with supporting documentation, for eligibility. Each year recipients will file an electronic request for payment together with supporting documentation for up to two years of award payments. Recipients are required to sign a contract for services in exchange for an award. Recipients must submit annual status reports until a final disposition is reached in accordance with the written contract.

Duplication:

No relevant rules or other relevant requirements duplicating, overlapping, or conflicting with this rule were identified.

Alternatives:

The proposed regulation is the result of HESC’s outreach efforts to the State Education Department, the State University of New York and the City University of New York with regard to this Program. Several alternatives were considered in the drafting of this regulation. For example, several alternatives were considered in defining terms used in the regulation as well as the administration of the Program. Given the statutory language as set forth in section 679-g of the Education Law, a “no action” alternative was not an option.

Federal standards:

This proposal does not exceed any minimum standards of the Federal Government and efforts were made to align it with similar federal subject areas as evidenced by the adoption of the federal undergraduate unsubsidized Stafford loan rate in the event that the award is converted to a student loan.

Compliance schedule:

The agency will be able to comply with the regulation immediately upon its adoption.

This statement is being submitted pursuant to subdivision (3) of section 202-b of the State Administrative Procedure Act and in support of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation’s (“HESC”) Emergency Rule Making, seeking to add a new section 2201.17 to Title 8 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York.

It is apparent from the nature and purpose of this rule that it will not impose an adverse economic impact on small businesses or local governments. HESC finds that this rule will not impose any compliance requirement or adverse economic impact on small businesses or local governments. Rather, it has potential positive economic impacts inasmuch as it implements a statutory student financial aid program that provides tuition benefits to students attending a New York State public institution of higher education who pursue their master’s degree in an education program leading to a career as a teacher in public elementary or secondary education. Students will be rewarded for remaining and working in New York, which will provide an economic benefit to the State’s small businesses and local governments as well.

This statement is being submitted pursuant to subdivision (4) of section 202-bb of the State Administrative Procedure Act and in support of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation’s Emergency Rule Making, seeking to add a new section 2201.17 to Title 8 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York.

It is apparent from the nature and purpose of this rule that it will not impose an adverse impact on rural areas. Rather, it has potential positive impacts inasmuch as it implements a statutory student financial aid program that provides tuition benefits to students attending a New York State public institution of higher education who pursue their master’s degree in an education program leading to a career as a teacher in public elementary or secondary education. Students will be rewarded for remaining and working in New York, which benefits rural areas around the State as well.

This agency finds that this rule will not impose any reporting, record keeping or other compliance requirements on public or private entities in rural areas.

This statement is being submitted pursuant to subdivision (2) of section 201-a of the State Administrative Procedure Act and in support of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation’s Emergency Rule Making seeking to add a new section 2201.17 to Title 8 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York.

It is apparent from the nature and purpose of this rule that it will not have any negative impact on jobs or employment opportunities. Rather, it has potential positive economic impacts inasmuch as it implements a statutory student financial aid program that provides tuition benefits to students attending a New York State public institution of higher education who pursue their master’s degree in an education program leading to a career as a teacher in public elementary or secondary education. Students will be rewarded for remaining and working in New York, which will benefit the State as well.