The New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA) has called for updates to the state’s Tuition Aid Grants (TAG) program to better serve students pursuing noncredit workforce credentials. This message was delivered during testimony before the Senate Higher Education Committee, which met to discuss ways to improve the TAG program.
Currently, TAG provides need-based financial assistance to college students in traditional degree programs at public, private, and community colleges. However, NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs Althea D. Ford said this “degree-centric” approach does not align with today’s workforce needs.
“TAG currently requires enrollment in a degree-granting program, which excludes many industry-valued noncredit workforce training programs that prepare students for in-demand careers,” Ford said. “This leaves a growing segment of learners without access to comparable state support, even though they are pursuing credentials that fill critical workforce gaps.
“New Jersey’s employers across healthcare, IT, advanced manufacturing, construction, and other sectors report acute shortages of skilled workers who have credentials short of a degree. Existing financial aid structures do not adequately support students pursuing these noncredit but employer-valued credentials, which contributes to persisting workforce gaps,” she said.
Ford pointed out that NJBIA supports recently introduced legislation—S-1467—that would expand TAG eligibility to include certain workforce training programs. The bill directs the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to identify eligible programs based on factors like instructional hours and job placement rates.
“This approach recognizes that many critical workforce pathways — from advanced manufacturing certificates to cybersecurity bootcamps, healthcare certifications, and apprenticeship programs — do not result in traditional degrees yet provide essential skills and employment,” Ford said.
NJBIA also backs continued funding for the Summer TAG program introduced in 2023 because it helps students complete their coursework more quickly by allowing summer study.
However, Ford expressed concerns about another bill discussed at the hearing—S-3383—which would require equal TAG awards for students at public and private colleges. She warned this could have unintended effects on private institutions due to their higher tuition costs and different levels of state support.
“We are concerned about this type of effort because we do believe that it limits a student and family’s choice to attend an educational setting that best aligns with the student’s needs and their career goals,” Ford said.
“And so, while we recognize the need to be very intentional about how public dollars are utilized … we don’t want an unintended consequence that, in essence, closes off access to independent or private schools based on a student’s financial ability,” she said.
Senator Joseph Cryan (D-20), committee chair and sponsor of S-3383 as well as S-1467, noted that Thursday’s meeting was intended for discussion only: “make the legislation better,” he said after inviting business and academic stakeholders for input.
NJBIA represents private-sector employers throughout New Jersey as part of its mission as the nation’s largest statewide employer association [source]. The association works with businesses across various sectors including manufacturing and services [source], providing advocacy efforts along with practical information designed to enhance member prosperity [source]. NJBIA also promotes collaboration among businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions [source].
