WHEREAS, on September
11, 2001, terrorists killed and injured thousands of persons in an unprovoked
attack against the United States; and
WHEREAS, many of
these victims were New Jersey residents including several hundred who
were parents of dependent children or who had spouses or other persons
who relied on them for financial assistance or contributions to meet their
daily needs; and
WHEREAS, children
and others who were dependent on the victims, who are college students,
may be experiencing difficulties meeting their tuition expenses because
of the sudden loss of their loved ones;
WHEREAS, in recognition
of the need and desirability of providing scholarship funds to children
and spouses of the victims, the World Trade Center Scholarship Act (PL
2001 c.442)(hereinafter, Scholarship Act) was approved on January 11,
2002 to provide scholarships to children and spouses of the victims of
the September 11, 2001 attacks, through the administration of a newly
created Board in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA);
WHEREAS, the implementation
of the Scholarship Act requires the establishment of a Board, whose membership
is to be chosen by the Governor and the Legislature, with the advice and
consent of the Senate, and the establishment of guidelines for the program,
is likely to take several months, despite best efforts;
WHEREAS, although
the Scholarship Act appropriated $250,000 for implementation of the Scholarship
program, current college students have not yet been able to receive tuition
assistance through the scholarship program, because it has not yet been
fully implemented;
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, JAMES E. McGREEVEY, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue
of the authority vested in me by the
Constitution and
the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
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That all State
Colleges and Universities subject to N.J.S.A. 18A:64-1 et seq. and
the New Jersey Institute of Technology shall hereby forego and desist
collecting tuition and fees charged for the Fall 2001 semester and
subsequent semesters, from students who are New Jersey residents,
who demonstrate that their parent, spouse or another person on whom
they relied for significant financial assistance or contribution to
meet their daily needs (hereinafter, dependent student), was killed
in the September 11, 2001 attacks;
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That any junior
or county college or independent four-year college or university that
voluntarily foregoes or delays collection of tuition and fees for
the Fall 2001 semester and subsequent semesters may submit to HESAA
an application for reimbursement up to the amount currently charged
for tuition and fees by any State college or university for a full-time
student who is a New Jersey resident, or for actual tuition and fees
charged, whichever is the lesser amount;
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That all State
Colleges and Universities subject to N.J.S.A. 18A:64-1 et seq., and
the New Jersey Institute of Technology, may submit to the HESAA an
application for reimbursement for tuition and fees incurred by any
dependent student for the Fall 2001 semester and subsequent semesters;
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That HESAA shall
review such applications, and forward them to the Board of Trustees
of the Scholarship Fund created pursuant to P.L. 2001 c. 442, which
shall consider such applications for reimbursement in accordance with
the provisions of that law and this Order; and
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This Order shall
take effect immediately, and shall remain in effect, unless rescinded,
until such time as the scholarship program created pursuant to P.L.2001,
c.442, is fully operational.
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GIVEN, under
my hand and this day of April in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand
Two, and of the Independence of the United States, the Two Hundred
and Twenty-Sixth.
/s/ JAMES
E. McGREEVEY
Governor
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Attest:
/s/ Paul A. Levinsohn
Chief Counsel to the Governor