§ 18A:71B-113 — Eligibility for financial aid grant.

3. a. To be eligible to receive a financial aid grant under the Community College Opportunity Grant Program, a student shall: (1) be a legal resident of the State in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.18A:71B-2 or be eligible for student financial aid pursuant to P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1); (2) be enrolled in at least six credits at a county college established pursuant to chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes; (3) (a) be enrolled at the county college that serves the student's county of residence; or (b) be enrolled at an out-of-county college, in which case the student, if otherwise eligible, shall receive a grant under the program to cover the remaining costs of tuition and approved educational fees, charged at the in-district rate for the county college at which the student is enrolled, provided that the amount of a grant provided to a student under this subparagraph does not exceed the amount of tuition and approved educational fees actually charged to the student; (4) not have an annual adjusted gross income that is negative; (5) have an annual adjusted gross income between $0 and $65,000, except that the authority, in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, may annually establish maximum annual adjusted gross income eligibility limits of no less than $65,000; (6) have applied for all other available forms of State, federal, and institutional need-based grants and merit scholarships and, in accordance with annually established deadline dates, have completed and submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, other financial aid form, or, as applicable, a State financial aid form as required by the authority pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1); (7) not owe a refund on a grant or scholarship previously received from a State or federal program through any institution or be in default on any loan made under any State or federal student loan program at any institution, unless the student makes arrangements with the authority to repay the debt; and (8) be in good academic standing and meet the minimum standards for academic performance and satisfactory academic progress as defined by the county college which the student is attending. A county college shall not impose additional eligibility requirements for the program, other than the requirements set forth in this subsection. b. A grant under the program may be renewed for a student who: (1) annually completes and submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, other financial aid form, or, as applicable, a State financial aid form as required by the authority pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2018, c.12 (C.18A:71B-2.1); (2) meets the standards for academic performance and satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the county college which the student is attending, to determine eligibility for federal student aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or, in the semester immediately prior to receiving an award, attains a minimum level of academic success as determined by the authority; and (3) maintains all eligibility requirements established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. c. (1) A student shall be eligible for a grant under the program for up to five semesters, unless the student is enrolled in a program regularly requiring at least six semesters for completion, in which case the authority shall permit up to six semesters of eligibility. (2) A student enrolled in a three plus one degree program shall be eligible for a grant under the program for up to six semesters. (3) Semesters for which a student is enrolled in at least six credits but less than 12 credits shall be counted as one-half of a full-time semester. d. A student may be eligible for a grant under the program during a fall or spring semester in an academic year. e. If a student, the student's family, or a county college deems that the authority made an unfair determination of eligibility, an appeal may be filed with the authority within 60 days of initial notification of eligibility or ineligibility. f. The county college which a student attends shall notify the student of the student's eligibility for the program and the amount of the grant. L.2021, c.26, s.3.