(TRENTON) — Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer (D-Passaic), Assembly Majority Conference Leader Gordon M. Johnson (D-Bergen) and Assembly Speaker-Elect Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) issued a multimedia package Thursday, which excerpts portions of their discussion about the need for tuition equality during a State House news conference in support of the issue.
Democrats in the Legislature recognize the injustice in limiting opportunities for students who simply ask for the same financial resources availed to their counterparts, to help offset the high cost of college tuition. They are pushing ahead to bring tuition equality to New Jersey, despite the governor’s post-election change of heart on the issue. Just weeks before the election, the governor abandoned his former stance and expressed support for tuition equality. He changed his mind again after the election.
The bill (A-4225) would allow a student, including a student without lawful immigration status, to pay the in-state tuition at the state’s public institutions of higher education, and apply for any available state financial aid, if the student meets the following requirements:
- attended high school in this state for three or more years;
- graduated from a high school in this state or attained the equivalent of a high school diploma in the state;
- registers as an entering student or is currently enrolled in a public institution of higher education not earlier than the fall semester of the 2013-2014 academic year; and
- in the case of a person without lawful immigration status, files an affidavit with the institution of higher education stating that the student has filed an application to legalize his immigration status or will file an application as soon as he is eligible to do so.
The multimedia package consists of video excerpt of comments from the Assemblymen and audio of same.
The video can be accessed directly via our website — www.assemblydems.com — or by clicking here.
The audio file is available upon request.