N.J. Admin. Code § 9A:10-6.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 9A:10-6.4 - Eligibility for the NJCLASS Loan Program

(a) To be eligible for a Standard NJCLASS loan, each applicant must:

1. Be a citizen, national or legal resident of the United States or be in the United States for other than temporary purposes and intend to become a permanent resident (as evidenced by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or its successor agency, documentation);

2. Not owe a grant refund, be in default on a student loan, have a student loan written off as uncollectible, or be in violation of any of the other criteria for determining creditworthiness as outlined in N.J.A.C. 9A:10-6.5;

3. Provide an acceptable cosigner if it is determined by the Authority that one is required; and in the case of any Federal Direct Loan amount, or any NJCLASS Loan Program loan, Refinance Loan, or NJCLASS Consolidation Loan amount that previously was canceled due to the applicant's total and permanent disability, obtain a certification from a physician that the applicant's condition has improved, and that the applicant is able to engage in substantial gainful activity and sign a statement acknowledging that the Standard NJCLASS loan the applicant receives cannot be canceled in the future on the basis of any impairment present when the new loan is made, unless that impairment substantially deteriorates. If the applicant is not the student, and the student had any loan amount described in this paragraph canceled due to the student's total and permanent disability, the student on whose behalf another borrower or cosigner is applying for a Standard NJCLASS loan must obtain the physician certification as to the student's improvement and sign the statement limiting future cancellation on the basis of the student's present impairment; and

4. Provide at least two references for the borrower, and co-borrower if applicable, and at least two references for the cosigner, and joint cosigner if applicable.

(b) In addition to all of the requirements in (a) above, a student applicant or a student on whose behalf the parent is applying for a Standard NJCLASS loan shall:

2. Be a permanent resident of New Jersey prior to filing an application; however, residency is not required if enrolled in an eligible institution located in New Jersey, meaning that either the institution maintains a campus or the place of instruction is located in New Jersey;

3. Have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate;

4. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis in an eligible institution;

5. If currently enrolled in an eligible institution, be determined by the institution to be making satisfactory academic progress;

6. If applying for a Standard NJCLASS loan financed in whole or in part by qualified student loan bonds, as described in section 144(b) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, 26 U.S.C. § 144(b), have met the eligibility criteria described in that section or have not violated any other criteria that would result in the bonds no longer to be qualified under section 144(b) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, 26 U.S.C. § 144(b); and

7. If applying for a Standard NJCLASS loan not financed in whole or in part by qualified student loan bonds, as described in section 144(b) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, 26 U.S.C. § 144(b), have met the eligibility criteria described in this subchapter.

(c) To be eligible for an NJCLASS Graduate/Professional Students loan for student borrowers, each student must satisfy the requirements at (b)1, 3, 4, and 6 above, as well as the following:

1. Be a permanent resident of New Jersey prior to filing an application; however, residency is not required if enrolled in an eligible institution for purposes of this program that is located in New Jersey, meaning that either the institution maintains a campus or the place of instruction is located in New Jersey;

2. Be enrolled in an eligible institution for purposes of this program, which shall mean an eligible institution of higher education under Title IV, Higher Education Act of 1965, and accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting association that is licensed by OSHE, or its equivalent, in another state or country with a cohort default rate of 15 percent or less;

3. Not owe a grant refund, be in default on a student loan, have a student loan written off as uncollectible, or have adverse credit as outlined in N.J.A.C. 9A:10-6.5(d);

4. Be a graduate or professional student enrolled or accepted in a graduate or professional program as certified by an eligible institution for purposes of this program; and

5. If currently enrolled in an eligible institution for purposes of this program, be making satisfactory academic progress.

(d) To be eligible for a MedNJ loan, each student must satisfy the requirements of (b)1, 2, 3, 6, and 7, and (c)3 and 5 above as well as the following:

1. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis in an MD, DO, DDS or DMD program at an eligible institution. An eligible institution for MedNJ is a graduate medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or the U.S. Department of Education's National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA), or a graduate dental school accredited by either the American Dental Association or the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada.

N.J. Admin. Code § 9A:10-6.4

Amended by 46 N.J.R. 2358(a), effective 12/1/2014

Amended by 48 N.J.R. 2433(a), effective 11/21/2016

Amended by 56 N.J.R. 374(a), effective 3/4/2024