6456. Foster youth college success initiative. 1. Subject to an appropriation, the commissioner shall allocate the funds available for the foster youth college success initiative for the purpose of providing support services to assist youth in foster care to apply for, enroll in, and succeed in college. Such grants shall be awarded to institutions of the state university of New York and institutions of the city university of New York, and the commissioner shall enter into contracts with degree-granting institutions in New York that are currently funded by the Arthur O. Eve higher education opportunity program pursuant to section sixty-four hundred fifty-one of this article for the purpose of providing additional services and expenses to expand opportunities for foster youth.
2. For the purposes of this section, "foster youth" shall mean students who have qualified as an orphan, foster child or ward of the court for the purposes of federal student financial aid programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.
3. a. Funds appropriated in the two thousand fifteen--two thousand sixteen academic year for the purposes of this initiative shall be allocated by sector as follows: fifty-two percent for institutions in the state university of New York; thirty percent for institutions in the city university of New York; and eighteen percent for other degree-granting institutions in New York with current Arthur O. Eve higher education opportunity programs.
b. Funds appropriated in the two thousand sixteen--two thousand seventeen academic year and thereafter for the purposes of this initiative shall be allocated by sector based on the percentage of foster youth identified by each institution that will be served by this initiative in the following academic year, in applications received by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision six of this section, provided however that the award per student for foster youth first served in the two thousand fifteen--two thousand sixteen academic year shall be no less than the amount per student awarded for those students in the two thousand fifteen--two thousand sixteen academic year.
4. Funds for all programs under this section shall be awarded in equal amounts per foster youth to each institution that applies for funding allocated to its sector distribution as provided in subdivision three of this section and has an application that is approved by the commissioner.
5. Moneys made available to institutions under this section shall be spent for the following purposes:
a. to provide additional services and expenses to expand opportunities through existing postsecondary opportunity programs at the state university of New York, the city university of New York, and other degree-granting higher education institutions for foster youth;
b. to provide any necessary supplemental financial aid for foster youth, which may include the cost of tuition and fees, books, transportation, housing and other expenses as determined by the commissioner to be necessary for such foster youth to attend college;
c. summer college preparation programs to help foster youth transition to college, prepare them to navigate on-campus systems, and provide preparation in reading, writing, and mathematics for foster youth who need it; or
d. advisement, tutoring, and academic assistance for foster youth.
6. Eligible institutions shall file an application for approval by the commissioner no later than the first of May each year demonstrating a need for such funding, including how the funding would be used and how many foster youth would be assisted with such funding. Successful applicants will be funded as provided in subdivision four of this section.
7. No funds pursuant to this section shall be made available to support the regular academic programs of any institution participating in this program, nor shall funds be provided for programs which are incompatible with the regents plan for the expansion and development of higher education in this state.
Last modified: February 3, 2019