Aiming to find ways to improve the State’s Tuition Aid Grant Program, a bill (A-1997) sponsored by Assemblywomen Shavonda Sumter (D-Bergen, Passaic) and Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) to create a commission to study the program and make recommendations was approved Thursday by the Assembly Higher Education Committee.
The bill’s sponsors released the following statements:
Assemblywoman Sumter: “When TAG was first implemented in 1978, it provided an opportunity to students to attend college. The program’s mission remains the same today, but budget constraints have led to lower grant awards and higher costs for students and families. The work of this commission will help us evaluate barriers and deficiencies in the TAG program and make necessary improvements.”
Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle: “For many students, a college degree can seem far too out of reach. The TAG program can put the opportunity for higher education within their grasp, and help them imagine new goals for their future. We cannot let the TAG program continue to falter because of financial limitations at the state level. It’s time for us to come up with comprehensive solutions to adjust TAG in a way that will benefit the students who need it most.”