OFFICIALS SEE NEW YORK'S PART-TIME AID PROGRAM OVERCOMING SLOW START - January 31, 1986

Sep 21, 2026

New York officials describe how the Aid for Part-Time Students (APTS) program, created in 1984 for non-traditional learners, got off to a slow start despite $11 million appropriated for 1984-85. The Board of Regents cites technical issues, limited awareness, credit-hour prerequisites, and cash-flow and grade-point concerns for low participation. Regents recommend restoring funding while improving communication, removing credit-hour and grade hurdles, and allowing prepayment to institutions to address delays and liability fears.

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OFFICIALS SEE NEW YORK'S PART-TIME AID PROGRAM OVERCOMING SLOW START

Refund funding and bipartisan support

Causes of underutilization and participation barriers

Recommended program adjustments

FORD GIVES HOPEFUL MESSAGE ON STUDENT AID'S FUTURE

Tax increase and budget outlook

Reauthorization plans for higher education

Friday,January 31,1986 # OFFICIALS SEE NEW YORK'S PART-TIME AID PROGRAM OVERCOMING SLOW START New York's trend-setting aid program for part-time students failed to attractmany applicants in its first year of existence,but state officials believethat will change once word of the program gets out and some technical glitchesare eliminated. The New York Board of Regents said its Aid for Part-Time Students(APTS)pro-gram was“severely underutilized”during the 1984-85 academic year.of the$11 million appropriated that year for the program,just $3.1 million,or28 percent,was used. "I think everyone recognizes that the lack of interest was due to the technicalproblems,"explained Barbara Flynn,assistant to the state deputy commissionerfor higher education."And the first year is,of course,the first year." Refunding Recommended The regents recommended the program again be fundedfor next year at $11 million,a figure expected to be supported by Gov.MarioCuomo and a bipartisan consensus of state legislators. Mary Ann McClean-Austin,counsel to state Senate Higher Education CommitteeChairman Kenneth LaValle,said APTS has been a bipartisan idea from the begin-ning."We believe the major reason [its funds were not expended]was the new-ness of it,"she said."It is going to take a while to get the word out on aprogram like this." The tuition assistance program was established by the state legislature inspring 1984 in response to calls for additional student aid to the growing num-ber of non-traditional students.While a few other states offer aid to part-time students,few have initiated specific part-time aid plans. Part-Time ExplosionBetween 1972 and 1982,part-time undergraduate en-stituted nearly a third of the total undergraduate enrollment in the state,ac-cording to the New York Higher Education Assistance Corp. Yet,of 250,000 part-time students deemed eligible for the program,only 5,911received APTS.Moreover,although the program pays a maximum annual award of $2,000,last year's average award was only $525. A report by the regents attributed the poor participation level to a lack ofknowledge about the program,not only by students but by college administratorsas well.In addition,it said,a requirement that students accrue six semestercredit hours before they are eligible precluded new part-timers.(more) January 31,1986 # 0FFICIALS SEE AID PROGRAM OVERCOMING SLOW START(Cont.) The regents also said no provision had been made for prepayment of the APTSfunds to intitutions,causing the colleges involved to initiate the fundingbefore being reimbursed by the state.Finally,they said,elig1ble studentswere required to maintain a passing grade-point average,causing institutionsto fear they wil1 be held financially liable for failing students. To overcome its pitfalls,the regents have recommended that applicants be re-qulred to maintain"good academic standing,"as in other New York student aidprograms,but that the grade-point requirement be dropped. In addition,the regents recommended eliminating the credit-hour requlrementand permit prepayment of the APTS to institutions at the beginning of eachterm to alleviate cash-flow problems. Perhaps most important,however,New York's higher education community mustfind out about the program。 "No question about it,we had a timing problem in getting the word out lastyear,"McClean-Austin said."But the concept was fully embraced by all par-ties.I don't think anybody is thinking about cutting funding to the program.We will always wish we had more money to spend on it."--Bi1l Reinhard # FORD GIVES HOPEFUL MESSAGE ON STUDENT AID'S FUTURE Although the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings balanced budget law threatens to cut deeplyinto student aid programs,a key member of Congress this week gave his audiencehope that the student aid gains of the past decade wil1 not vanish in the nexttwo years. House Postsecondary Education Chairman William Ford,D-Mich.,told members ofthe Coalition of Higher Education

FAQs

Why did New York’s APTS program use only part of its allocated funds in 1984-85?

Officials said technical problems and low awareness reduced interest, and program requirements such as earning six semester credit hours before eligibility limited new part-timers.

What recommendations were made to improve APTS participation?

The Regents recommended keeping funding at $11 million but addressing obstacles by requiring good academic standing while dropping the grade-point average condition, eliminating the credit-hour requirement, and permitting prepayment to institutions.

How did prepayment and grade requirements affect colleges involved in APTS?

Officials said there was no prepayment provision, so colleges started funding before reimbursement, and institutions feared financial liability if students failed to maintain a passing grade-point average.

Sep 21, 2026

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