NJ STARS to Become NJ HonorScholars Program

Legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer to revamp and expand the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship Program (NJ STARS) passed the New Jersey Senate. This bill allows more of New Jersey’s top-performing high school students to receive scholarships covering the full cost of community college and a portion of tuition at New Jersey’s four-year colleges and universities.

“College affordability is one of the greatest concerns for students and their families,” said Singer (R-Monmouth, Ocean). “Increasing the opportunity for our top high school students to qualify for State-funded scholarships will help them to focus more on their education and less on the financial burden of paying for college. By covering a significant portion of tuition bills through these scholarships, we’ll protect more students from student loan debt.”

Currently, students who graduate in the top 15 percent of their high school class qualify for NJ STARS scholarships that cover the full cost of tuition at any New Jersey community college. NJ STARS students who earn an associate’s degree with a minimum 3.25 grade point average are eligible for a NJ STARS II scholarship of up to $2,500 per year at any New Jersey public or independent four-year college or university.

Sen. Singer’s legislation, S-763, renames NJ STARS the New Jersey HonorScholars Program and expands eligibility to students ranking in the top 20 percent of their class. The NJ HonorScholars program will continue providing the scholarships previously offered under the NJ STARS II Program.

Additionally, the New Jersey HonorScholars Program will create new scholarships for students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class to attend a four-year institution for four years.

“New Jersey exports more of our students to out-of-state colleges than any other state in the nation, and many of them never return home after graduation,” added Singer. “Our revamped NJ HonorScholars will help hardworking kids to make the smart choice to continue their studies at New Jersey’s community colleges and four-year colleges, which rank among the best in the nation. We can make a college diploma more affordable and help our state to retain the best and the brightest students, who will go on to contribute to New Jersey as they enter the workforce.”

This legislation part of a package of bills addressing college that advanced from the Senate today.