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Education
Higher
Education Funding
We worked very hard to restore higher education funding for our New Jersey
colleges and universities, which was not included in the Governor's original
budget proposal. This funding will enable our
institutions of higher education to keep tuition increases in line, attract
the best students in our state and increase their ability to raise private
funds.
State funding for higher education is $1.840 billion, up $37.9 million from last year. This funding will provide Tuition Incentive Grants totaling $48 million as part of the institutions general operating support on the condition that tuition increases stay in the single digits. If a college or university experiences a tuition increase exceeding 9%, they will not qualify for the Tuition Incentive Grant.
Funding for Educational Opportunity Fund is being maintained at $35.5 million. This represents dollars for the most educationally and economically disadvantaged students.
The Outstanding Scholar Recruitment Program (OSRP) is fully funded. This will allow our state's brightest and most academically gifted students to remain in New Jersey to be educated.
Direct loans for academically gifted students with leadership potential and an interest in teaching in our state's public schools are provided in this budget. These loans are to be redeemed for each year of full-time employment in a critical needs subject area or for working in a special needs district. This program helps New Jersey to attract and keep the best educators available.
Three million dollars in Higher Education Endowment Funds is provided to our colleges and universities. These funds will match gifts and donations from the private sector thus making giving to our educational institutions more desirable.
The Legislature restored $8 million to our County Colleges and added a new part-time Tuition Aid Grant program geared specifically to these students. County Colleges educate a wind-range of students from a multitude of backgrounds and provide vital links in our educational and economic development chains.
Our children are our best hope for a bright future. They will be the decision makers in years to come. It is right for us to provide the best and most enriching environment possible.
Extraordinary
Special Education Aid Is Funded For The First Time
For
the first time since it was signed into law in 1996, a program to assist school
districts that serve high-cost special education
pupils will be fully funded.
Changes made to the fiscal year 2004 budget by the Assembly Democratic caucus include $52 million to fully fund "extraordinary special education aid." This program was established under former Governor Whitman's 1996 education funding law, the "Comprehensive Education Improvement and Financing Act," but was never fully funded by Whitman or Acting Governor DiFrancesco. Working with Governor McGreevey, my colleagues on the Budget Committee, Assemblyman Payne, Assemblyman Cryan, Assemblyman Fisher, Assemblywoman Greenstein, Assemblywoman Perez-Cinciarelli, Assemblywoman Watson Coleman and I were able to secure the necessary funding in the FY 2004 budget.
Extraordinary special education aid is provided to school districts for costs in excess of $40,000 per each high-cost special education pupil they serve. In the 2004 school year, school districts that have applied for the aid will be reimbursed for their 2003 school year costs.
These funds will go to every school district in the state, regardless of political party. Our children's education is too important to let politics interfere.
Under the FY 2004, school districts are required to use the additional funds for property tax relief. Assemblyman Greenwald secured this requirement to ensure that the taxpayers of the sixth legislative district will directly benefit and reduce the burden on the state.