New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 9A - HIGHER EDUCATION
Chapter 19 - RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECURING OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE BOND ACT
Subchapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 9A:19-1.6 - Application review and approval process

Universal Citation: NJ Admin Code 9A:19-1.6

Current through Register Vol. 57, No. 6, March 17, 2025

(a) Applications for CTE grants shall demonstrate that the proposed project will meet all of the following criteria:

1. A net increase in the number of students in CTE programs and academic opportunity by offering new career and technical programs, or adding new courses within existing programs;

2. A focus on new student seats for CTE programs that prepare students for high demand, technically skilled careers in accordance with:
i. Labor market demands; or

ii. Economic development goals in the following key industry clusters:
(1) Construction and energy;

(2) Finance;

(3) Healthcare;

(4) Leisure and hospitality;

(5) Life sciences;

(6) Manufacturing;

(7) Retail trade;

(8) Technology; or

(9) Transportation, distribution, and logistics; and

3. All proposed work must directly support the expansion of CTE program capacity, and shall consist of one or more of the following scopes of work:
i. Renovation of existing square footage to increase program enrollment;

ii. New construction of a building addition or standalone building to increase program enrollment;

iii. Physical plant upgrades needed to support the conversion of existing space to support CTE programs or a building addition that increases CTE program enrollment;

iv. The purchase and installation of furniture and equipment, including technology, in new or renovated spaces;

v. Site improvements related to CTE program expansion; and/or

vi. Demolition of non-instructional buildings or portions of buildings to accommodate new construction that increases the number of student seats in CTE programs.

(b) The county college application shall demonstrate that it addresses the following objectives of this grant program:

1. Equitable access, which means how the county college will identify, recruit, and enroll economically disadvantaged and underserved populations;

2. Collaboration, which means the extent to which the county college will establish partnerships with one or more county vocational school districts or employers to expand the programs' impact by offering activities or courses that build career awareness or skills for students, or that develop the professional capacity of educators to teach CTE courses;

3. Industry-valued credentials, which means programs that lead to a New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJLWD) valued-credential in a high-demand sector, and how the program(s) support(s) diverse learners to earn one or more industry-valued credentials;

4. College credits, which means the extent to which students may earn county college credits (up to and including an associate degree), that are in a key industry cluster as set forth at (a)2ii above;

5. Apprenticeship, which means the extent to which the applicant identifies an industry partner that is currently operating an approved registered apprenticeship program and is willing to work with the applicant to offer the program to students; and

6. Innovation, which means the extent to which the proposed project will deliver the program(s) that leverage innovative technologies, schedules, teaching methodologies, and partnerships to provide authentic learning experiences in high-demand industries that are accessible to and engaging for 21st century learners.

(c) The following expenditures shall be non-allowable under the county college CTE program project grants:

1. Building system upgrades not related to CTE program expansion;

2. Building additions in which the total proposed net square footage of CTE classrooms, including adjacent support spaces serving the classroom, is less than 75 percent of the total net square footage of proposed construction;

3. Demolition that results in a net loss of instructional space for CTE programs;

4. Improvements to leased buildings, except where:
i. The lessor is a public entity, such as a school district or the State of New Jersey;

ii. The term of the lease agreement is for a minimum of 20 years, with an end date no earlier than June 30, 2044; and

iii. The county college is authorized to make the capital improvements represented in the grant agreement; and

5. Site improvements not directly related to CTE program expansion.

(d) Each application shall be ranked by the Secretary according to a scoring rubric that evaluates in accordance with the following criteria:

1. The extent to which the proposed project meets the eligibility requirements as set forth at N.J.A.C. 9A:19-1.4, the objectives as set forth at (b) above, and the application procedures outlined in this section;

2. The application quality, or the extent to which the application addresses the reporting requirements and presents a clear, accurate, and well-organized proposal to address the goals of the grant program;

3. For construction projects:
i. New construction efficiency, which means, as compared to proposals within similar industry cluster groups, the ratio of new student capacity to proposed new construction gross square footage;

ii. Building efficiency, which means, for both existing building square footage and new construction, the ratio of new student capacity to building gross square footage;

iii. The proposed county college building(s), including existing square footage and new construction, must have an efficient square footage per student based on total proposed college capacity; and

iv. Construction costs for CTE classrooms as compared to total construction costs efficiently address the goals of the grant program.

(e) In order to ensure the geographic diversity of county college CTE grant projects throughout the State, the Secretary may give a preference to applications in certain counties to ensure geographic diversity.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. New Jersey may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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