Relates to college admission and financial aid for students who have received a high school diploma from certain online high school programs, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6705
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to college admission  and
   financial  aid  for  students  who have received a high school diploma
   from certain online high school programs

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Paragraph f of subdivision 4 of section 661 of the educa-
 tion law, as amended by section 1 of part Z of chapter 58 of the laws of
 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   f. For students who first receive aid  pursuant  to  this  chapter  in
 academic year two thousand seven--two thousand eight or thereafter, must
 have  (i)  a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary
 education from a state within the United States; or (ii) the  recognized
 equivalent  of  such certificate; or (iii) received a passing score on a
 federally approved ability to benefit test that has been  identified  by
 the  board of regents as satisfying the eligibility requirements of this
 section and has been independently administered and evaluated as defined
 by the commissioner; OR (IV) RECEIVED A  HIGH  SCHOOL  DIPLOMA,  OR  THE
 EQUIVALENT  THEREOF,  FROM  AN ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM LOCATED WITHIN
 THE UNITED STATES THAT IS ACCREDITED IN ACCORDANCE WITH  PARAGRAPH  FOUR
 OF  APPENDIX  THREE HUNDRED TWO OF THE JOB CORPS POLICY AND REQUIREMENTS
 HANDBOOK (GUIDELINES FOR THE ONGOING QUALITY  MONITORING  OF  JOB  CORPS
 HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA (HSD) PROGRAMS), AS AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME;
   §  2. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education law
 is amended by adding a new subparagraph 11 to read as follows:
   (11) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY, SUCH
 REGULATIONS SHALL PROVIDE FOR ELIGIBILITY OF ADMISSION FOR STUDENTS  WHO
 HAVE  COMPLETED AN ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM WHICH (I) HAS IN EXCESS OF
 TEN THOUSANDS STUDENTS PER YEAR NATIONALLY COMPLETE SUCH  PROGRAM,  (II)
 IS  LOCATED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, AND (III) IS ACCREDITED IN ACCORD-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10514-01-5
 S. 6705                             2
 
 ANCE WITH PARAGRAPH FOUR OF APPENDIX THREE HUNDRED TWO OF THE JOB  CORPS
 POLICY  AND  REQUIREMENTS  HANDBOOK  (GUIDELINES FOR THE ONGOING QUALITY
 MONITORING OF JOB CORPS HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA (HSD) PROGRAMS), AS  AMENDED
 FROM TIME TO TIME;
   §  3.  Section  6306  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 3-b to read as follows:
   3-B. THE BOARD OF  TRUSTEES  OF  EACH  COMMUNITY  COLLEGE,  AND  THOSE
 PROVIDED  FOR  IN  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK BY SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS
 SECTION, SHALL ADOPT  A  POLICY  FOR  ADMISSION  OF  STUDENTS  WHO  HAVE
 COMPLETED AN ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM LOCATED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES
 CONSISTENT  WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUBPARAGRAPH ELEVEN OF PARAGRAPH H OF
 SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER.
   § 4. Section 6206 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 13-a to read as follows:
   13-A.  THE  BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL PROVIDE STANDARDS FOR ADMISSION OF
 STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED AN ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM LOCATED WITHIN
 THE UNITED STATES CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUBPARAGRAPH  ELEVEN
 OF PARAGRAPH H OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE OF
 THIS CHAPTER.
   §  5.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
 on or before such effective date.