NJ College Students' Financial Aid Rules Eased Amid Coronavirus

TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey college students will receive some relief from financial aid requirements due to the impacts of the coronavirus crisis under a law Gov. Phil Murphy signed Friday.

The legislation directs the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) to exclude the Spring 2020 semester from a student's total lifetime eligibility limits for all state financial aid programs if a student is unable to finish the semester because of the coronavirus.

Additionally, students who withdrew or reduced the number of credits they were taking during the crisis will not have to repay the state financial aid amounts that, under usual rules, the student would have had to return.

And students in the NJSTARS and NJSTARS II programs (the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarships) will remain eligible for the program even if their Spring 2020 grade point average fell below the previous eligibility minimums.

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"The college experience has been significantly disrupted for students across New Jersey. Few could have predicted they would end the semester learning remotely at home, largely isolated from their professors and peers," Assemblywoman Mila Jacey of the 27th District, chair of the Assembly's Higher Education Committee, and Assemblyman Ralph Caputo of the 28th District, who were among the co-sponsors of the bill, said in a joint statement.

"It may be more difficult for students to learn at home, particularly if they don’t have access to a computer or the Internet. Some may have needed time away from schoolwork to care for family members diagnosed with COVID-19, or to recover from illness themselves," they said.

"Students shouldn’t need to worry if they will lose access to financial aid if they need to temporarily scale back classes as a result of the pandemic," the statement said.

Murphy agreed: "We must ensure that no student’s education is negatively impacted by circumstances outside of their control. This legislation will protect our students from unforeseen financial hardship brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."

"We thank the governor and the legislative sponsors for taking this important action to adjust state financial aid policies in recognition of the unusual circumstances students faced during this year’s abrupt shift to remote learning," said David J. Socolow, executive director of HESAA. "HESAA has taken several other steps to support students during this pandemic emergency, and the law enacted today provides new tools we can use to assist students."

The legislation, S2356/A3946, was sponsored by Assemblymembers Jasey, Caputo, and Aura Dunn and Senators Sandra Cunningham and Tom Kean.

"Cace immense uncertainty as to what the future will hold," said Cunningham, who represents the 31st District. "They should not have to worry about whether or not their inability to complete their classes this semester will impact their financial aid eligibility for the years ahead. I am grateful the Governor saw the value in this legislation and has moved quickly to enact it into law. Hopefully, it can bring college students some peace of mind during these trying times."

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know