N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-1 Short title.
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Minority Faculty Advancement Program Act." L.1984,c.189,s.1; amended 1999, c.46, s.52.
N.J. Stat. tit. 18A, ch. 72F
N.J. Stat. tit. 18A, ch. 72F
in effectN.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-2 Findings, declarations.
2. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Within New Jersey colleges and universities minority faculty members with doctoral degrees in certain academic disciplines, notably the physical and life sciences, engineering, mathematics, management, computer science, environmental sciences, and statistics, are underrepresented in comparison to nonminority faculty members with doctorates. b. There is in the United States a serious shortage of minority doctoral degree graduates in the academic disciplines cited above from which New Jersey colleges and universities can recruit faculty members. c. The colleges and universities in New Jersey currently face difficult problems in recruiting and retaining minority faculty members with doctoral degrees in the academic disciplines cited above. d. Rutgers, The State University and the State colleges have cooperated in implementing a pilot program, the Minority Advancement Program in Teaching and Research, whereby eligible State college minority faculty members or other minorities admitted to the State university in a doctoral degree program in certain academic disciplines are provided grant, loan and other support opportunities to assist them in completing the academic degree requirements and to increase the pool of potential minority faculty members holding doctoral degrees. L.1984,c.189,s.2; amended 1994, c.48, s.271; 1999, c.46, s.53.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-3 Definitions relative to minority faculty advancement.
3. As used in this act: a. "Eligible discipline" means an academic discipline in which minority individuals are underrepresented as determined by the Commission on Higher Education in consultation with the Board of Directors of the Educational Opportunity Fund and the New Jersey Presidents' Council. b. "Faculty member" means any person employed full-time by a New Jersey college or university to perform primarily teaching, research, or administrative duties for 10 or more months per academic year. c. "Minority" means any person who is a member of a racial-ethnic group that has been historically disadvantaged in obtaining access to equal educational opportunities. d. "Program" means the Minority Faculty Advancement Program created pursuant to this act. e. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1999, c.46.) f. "Eligible student participant" means a minority student enrolled in a doctoral degree program in an eligible discipline, as defined in this section, at any New Jersey college or university that qualifies for and agrees to participate in the program. g. "New Jersey college or university" means any public or independent institution of higher education in the State licensed by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education. L.1984,c.189,s.3; amended 1994, c.48, s.272; 1999, c.46, s.54.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-4 Minority Faculty Advancement Program.
4. a. There is established within the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education a Minority Faculty Advancement Program. To increase the representation of doctorally trained minority faculty and administrators at New Jersey colleges and universities, the loan and loan redemption features of the Minority Faculty Advancement Loan and Loan Redemption Program, established pursuant to P.L.1984, c.189, shall be phased out and replaced by incentive hiring grants. Support, other than loans, for students participating in the program shall continue through campus assistance grants. The commission may enter into an agreement with another agency or entity to administer or provide services for this program. b. To be eligible for a campus assistance grant, a New Jersey college or university shall enter into an agreement with the commission to provide support opportunities to eligible student participants. Support opportunities may include, but are not limited to: advising; mentoring; workshops and colloquia. c. To be eligible for an incentive hiring grant, a New Jersey college or university shall enter into an agreement with the commission to provide loan redemption up to $40,000 per individual as a benefit to newly hired minority faculty or administrators with doctoral degrees, regardless of whether the doctorate was earned at an institution of higher education within or outside of the State. No more than $10,000 shall be redeemed for an individual for each year of service as a faculty member or administrator. d. No student loans shall be originated or guaranteed under this program after the effective date of P.L.1999, c.46 (N.J.S.18A:71A-1 et al.), to any person not already the recipient of a student loan made or guaranteed under the Minority Faculty Advancement Loan and Loan Redemption Program, established pursuant to P.L.1984, c.189. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall administer the loan and loan redemption components for persons participating prior to the effective date of P.L.1999, c.46 (N.J.S.18A:71A-1 et al.) until they have exhausted eligibility for such assistance. L.1984,c.189,s.4; amended 1994, c.48, s.273; 1999, c.46, s.55.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-5 Application procedure.
5. Eligible program participants who entered the program prior to the effective date of P.L.1999, c.46 (N.J.S.18A:71A-1 et al.), and who seek loans to finance their education shall apply for loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program. In the event that these participants have borrowed the maximum permitted under the terms of this program but would otherwise be eligible borrowers under this program, they may apply for nonfederal direct loans in amounts not exceeding $10,000.00 per student annually which loans may be renewed for up to a maximum of four academic years for a total loan indebtedness not exceeding $40,000.00 per student. However, the amount of a nonfederal direct loan shall not exceed, in combination with other financial aid, the total educational costs of a participant attending a college or university participating in this program. Nonfederal direct loans will be evidenced by promissory notes and may be secured pursuant to forms established by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. Nonfederal direct loans shall not bear interest or finance charges during the time a student is enrolled as a full-time student in the program or is engaged in approved redemption service pursuant to this act. Nonfederal direct loans shall become due and payable pursuant to section 8 of this act six months after graduation if no redemption contract is in effect, or six months after change to part-time student status, withdrawal from the program, or termination from full-time employment either as a faculty member at a New Jersey college or university or other qualified employment. L.1984,c.189,s.5; amended 1994, c.48, s.274; 1999, c.46, s.56.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-6 Loan redemption.
6. Nonfederal direct loans obtained pursuant to section 5 of this act and Federal Family Education Loans together with interest thereon secured after admission to the Minority Advancement Program may be redeemed by program participants who entered the program prior to the effective date of P.L.1999, c.46 (N.J.S.18A:71A-1 et al.), upon execution of a contract between the participant and the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. The maximum loan redemption for program participants shall amount to cancellation of repayment for one-quarter of the eligible loan indebtedness in return for each full academic year of service as a faculty member in a New Jersey college or university for total cancellation of loan indebtedness for up to, but not to exceed, a maximum of $40,000.00 per student. In no event shall faculty service for less than the full academic year of each period of service entitle the participant to any benefits under the loan redemption conditions of the program. Prior to the annual redemption of loan indebtedness, participants in the program shall submit proof of faculty service to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. L.1984,c.189,s.6; amended 1994, c.48, s.275 1999, c.46, s.57.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-7 Faculty service requirements.
7. Faculty service requirements for loan redemption purposes pursuant to section 6 of P.L.1984, c.189 (C.18A:72F-6) shall be satisfied at any New Jersey college or university. L.1984,c.189,s.7; amended 1994, c.48, s.276; 1999, c.46, s.58.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-8 Nullification of contract.
8. Program participants who entered the program prior to the effective date of P.L.1999, c.46 (N.J.S.18A:71A-1 et al.), and who have entered into redemption contracts with the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority may nullify their contracts by submitting written notification to the executive director of the authority and assuming full responsibility for repayment of principal and interest on the full amount of their nonfederal direct loans or that portion of the loans which has not been redeemed by the State in return for partial fulfillment of the contracts. The interest on the loans shall be at the prevailing rate established for the Federal Family Education Loan Program at the time the loans were made. The participant seeking to nullify the contract shall be required to repay the loan or the unredeemed portion thereof in not more than 10 years following the termination of the contract minus the years of service already performed under the contract. Repayments of nonfederal direct loans by participants who do not perform faculty service for redemption purposes may be used to provide future loans under the program, as determined by the executive director of the authority. L.1984,c.189,s.8; amended 1994, c.48, s.277; 1999, c.46, s.59.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-9 Nullification of service obligation.
9. In case of a program participant's death or total or permanent disability, the executive director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall nullify the service obligation of the student, thereby terminating the student's obligation to repay the unpaid balance of the redeemable portion of the loan and the accrued interest thereon, or where continued enforcement of the contract may result in extreme hardship, the executive director of the authority may nullify or suspend the service obligation of the student. L.1984,c.189,s.9; amended 1994, c.48, s.278; 1999, c.46, s.60.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-10 Periodic evaluation.
10. The impact of the program on the representation of New Jersey college and university minority faculty members with doctoral degrees in the designated disciplines shall be evaluated periodically by the Commission on Higher Education in consultation with the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund and the New Jersey Presidents' Council. L.1984,c.189,s.10; amended 1994, c.48, s.279; 1999, c.46, s.61.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-11 Rules, regulations.
11. The Commission on Higher Education shall promulgate such rules and regulations in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this act. Rules pertaining to loans and loan redemption pursuant to sections 5 through 9 of P.L.1984, c.189 (C.18A:72F-5 through 18A:72F-9) shall be promulgated by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. L.1984,c.189,s.11; amended 1994, c.48, s.280; 1999, c.46, s.62.
N.J. Stat. § 18A:72F-13 Funds budgeted for "Minority Faculty Advancement Program Act."
18. In any fiscal year, the Commission on Higher Education shall include in its proposed budget for that year the amount identified by the authority needed to fund its responsibilities under the "Minority Faculty Advancement Program Act," as well as any amounts needed to fund commission responsibilities under the "Minority Faculty Advancement Program Act." Funding shall be subject to the amount of appropriations available therefor. L.1999,c.46,s.18.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026