§ 6456 — Foster youth college success initiative

§ 6456. Foster youth college success initiative. 1. Subject to an\nappropriation, the commissioner shall allocate the funds available for\nthe foster youth college success initiative for the purpose of providing\nsupport services to assist youth in foster care to apply for, enroll in,\nand succeed in college. Such grants shall be awarded to institutions of\nthe state university of New York and institutions of the city university\nof New York, and the commissioner shall enter into contracts with\ndegree-granting institutions in New York that are currently funded by\nthe Arthur O. Eve higher education opportunity program pursuant to\nsection sixty-four hundred fifty-one of this article for the purpose of\nproviding additional services and expenses to expand opportunities for\nfoster youth.\n 2. For the purposes of this section, "foster youth" shall mean\nstudents who (i) are an orphan or (ii) are, or have been, either a child\nor youth in foster care as such term is defined in section thirty-two\nhundred forty-four of this chapter or ward of the court at any time\nafter their thirteenth birthday.\n 3. a. Funds appropriated in the two thousand fifteen--two thousand\nsixteen academic year for the purposes of this initiative shall be\nallocated by sector as follows: fifty-two percent for institutions in\nthe state university of New York; thirty percent for institutions in the\ncity university of New York; and eighteen percent for other\ndegree-granting institutions in New York with current Arthur O. Eve\nhigher education opportunity programs.\n b. Funds appropriated in the two thousand sixteen--two thousand\nseventeen academic year and thereafter for the purposes of this\ninitiative shall be allocated by sector based on the percentage of\nfoster youth identified by each institution that will be served by this\ninitiative in the following academic year, in applications received by\nthe commissioner pursuant to subdivision six of this section, provided\nhowever that the award per student for foster youth first served in the\ntwo thousand fifteen--two thousand sixteen academic year shall be no\nless than the amount per student awarded for those students in the two\nthousand fifteen--two thousand sixteen academic year.\n 4. Funds for all programs under this section shall be awarded in equal\namounts per foster youth to each institution that applies for funding\nallocated to its sector distribution as provided in subdivision three of\nthis section and has an application that is approved by the\ncommissioner; provided, however, funds shall be awarded to a foster\nyouth based on his or her need as determined by the institution of\nhigher education where such foster youth is in attendance.\n 5. Moneys made available to institutions under this section shall be\nspent for the following purposes:\n a. to provide additional services and expenses to expand opportunities\nthrough existing postsecondary opportunity programs at the state\nuniversity of New York, the city university of New York, and other\ndegree-granting higher education institutions for foster youth;\n b. to provide any necessary supplemental financial aid for foster\nyouth, which may include the cost of tuition and fees, books,\ntransportation, housing and other expenses as determined by the\ncommissioner to be necessary for such foster youth to attend college;\n c. summer college preparation programs to help foster youth transition\nto college, prepare them to navigate on-campus systems, and provide\npreparation in reading, writing, and mathematics for foster youth who\nneed it;\n d. advisement, tutoring, and academic assistance for foster youth;\n e. to provide supplemental housing and meals, including but not\nlimited to during intersession and summer breaks, for foster youth; or\n f. medical expenses including, but not limited to, primary care,\nbehavioral health, vision and dental care which is not otherwise covered\nby an eligible student's health plan.\n 6. Eligible institutions shall file an application for approval by the\ncommissioner each year demonstrating a need for such funding, including\nhow the funding would be used and how many foster youth would be\nassisted with such funding. Successful applicants will be funded as\nprovided in subdivision four of this section.\n 7. No funds pursuant to this section shall be made available to\nsupport the regular academic programs of any institution participating\nin this program, nor shall funds be provided for programs which are\nincompatible with the regents plan for the expansion and development of\nhigher education in this state.\n