Title
Dept/ Agency: Administration/Office of Business Administrator
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Memorandum of Agreement
Purpose: To establish a Guaranteed Education Pilot Program with Saint Elizabeth University, to provide financial assistance to at-risk, disadvantaged Newark students, who meet certain specific qualification criteria and are directly impacted by violence.
Entity Name: Saint Elizabeth University
Entity Address: 2 Convent Road, Morristown, New Jersey 07960
Grant Amount: $250,000.00 annually
Funding Source: 2022 Budget/Department of Administration/Brick City Peace Collective Grant/NW051, G22, A22G0, A, 72030, B2022
Program Term: Four (4) years commencing on June 1, 2022
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor ( ) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
( ) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions ( ) RFP ( ) RFQ
( ) Private Sale ( ) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient (X ) n/a
Additional Information:
In establishing this Guaranteed Education Pilot Program, Saint Elizabeth University shall serve as the City's agent for the administration and management of $1,000,000.00 to be paid over four (4) years ($250,000.00 per year, not to exceed $6,250.00 per student per year) commencing June 1, 2022, to be used towards the tuition and room and board payment for forty (40) students participating in the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program.
...body
WHEREAS, on or about December 30, 2021, the City of Newark (the “City”) submitted an application to the State of New Jersey, Department of Community Affairs (“DCA”) seeking grant funding to carry out the Brick City Peace Collective, a coalition of sixteen (16) community organizations that coordinates existing community support at the neighborhood level and promotes collaborations for wraparound services that will drive strategic systemic change to violence prevention and trauma recovery (the “Brick City Peace Collective Grant Project.”); and
WHEREAS, on February 16, 2022, by Resolution 7R1-g the City authorized the acceptance of the Three Million Dollars and Zero Cents ($3,000,000.00) in grant funds (the “Grant Funds”) from the DCA to carry out the Brick City Peace Collective Grant Project; and
WHEREAS, the City intends to use One Million Dollars and Zero Cents ($1,000,000.00) of the Grant Funds, budgeting Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($250,000.00) of the Grant Funds per year of the Program, to establish a Pilot Program to provide financial scholarships to at-risk and disadvantaged Newark students, meeting certain specified criteria, directly affected and impacted by violence in the home; and
WHEREAS, as part of the requirements for receiving the Grant Funds, the disadvantaged Newark students must be interested in entering the field of education, nursing, psychology and/or social work; and
WHEREAS, these Grant Funds will be used to cover the costs of attending a four (4) year college program, after applying the individual student’s federal, state, and institutional financial assistance (the “Guaranteed Education Pilot Program” or “Education Pilot Program”); and
WHEREAS, in its aim to provide assistance to the students who are the most vulnerable and in need, the City listed on its website and circulated flyers to all Newark High Schools through the Newark School Board, Newark Board of Education and through distribution at youth events, information to access an application available to all Newark high school seniors for consideration in the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program; and
WHEREAS, the application for the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program established certain criteria and specific requirements (Attachment I to the MOA) including the following: (1) City of Newark resident; (2) cumulative grade point average of 1.8 through 2.5; (3) desire to focus his/her college studies on social work, education, psychology or nursing; and one of the following: (a) student has an incarcerated parent; and (b) parent recently was released from prison (released within the past two (2) years); and (c) first generation college student in his/her family, or; (d) has lost a parent or sibling to violence; and
WHEREAS, the City explored several colleges and universities in the State of New Jersey, in an effort to secure a partnership with a college or university that would be willing to participate in the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program, with the specific criteria set forth above, including the low-grade point average, and showed they were capable of administering the Grant Funds to specifically identified Newark students, for the Education Pilot Program; and
WHEREAS, Saint Elizabeth University, a non-profit, four (4) year liberal arts university, of 2 Convent Road, Morristown, New Jersey 07960 (“the University”) was the only college currently able to: participate in this Guaranteed Education Pilot Program; accept at-risk, disadvantaged Newark students with cumulative grade point averages of 1.8 through 2.5; demonstrate its ability to provide a holistic approach to violence prevention and reduction; and perform such administrative and management functions as necessary to provide for the effective and efficient administration, utilization and disbursement of the Grant Funds in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to enter into an agreement with the University to establish the first of its kind Guaranteed Education Pilot Program, to provide financial assistance to at-risk, disadvantaged Newark students, who meet certain specific qualification criteria and are directly affected and impacted by violence, and to administer, utilize and disburse the Grant Funds for the Education Pilot Program, as well as provide those specialized and qualitative skills and training necessary for delivering a holistic approach to violence prevention and reduction; and
WHEREAS, upon the anticipated success of this Guaranteed Education Pilot Program, the City shall have the ability to enact an Ordinance which will establish the Guaranteed Education Program, and provide for this program with other colleges and universities, that will agree to admit at-risk students who have directly experienced violence, provided that the City has a funding source(s) to continue the Program in the future.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Mayor of the City of Newark and/or his designee, the Business Administrator, is authorized to enter into and execute a Memorandum of Agreement with Saint Elizabeth University, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, New Jersey 07960, to establish a Guaranteed Education Pilot Program to provide financial assistance to forty (40) at-risk, disadvantaged Newark students, who meet certain specific qualification criteria and are directly affected and impacted by violence.
2. Saint Elizabeth University will serve as the City's agent, in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement (attached hereto) for the administration and management of One Million Dollars and Zero Cents ($1,000,000.00) to be paid over four (4) years ($250,000.00 per year, not to exceed $6,250.00 per student per year) beginning June 1, 2022, to be used towards the tuition and room and board payment for the forty (40) student beneficiaries of the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program.
3. Attached hereto is a Certification of Funds for Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($250,000.00), representing payment for the first year of the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program and issued by the Director of the Department of Finance, who certifies that there are sufficient legally appropriated funds available under Account Code: NW051-G22-A22G0-A-72030-B2022, through the Brick City Peace Collective Grant.
4. The Business Administrator shall provide a copy of this Resolution, and Certification of Funds to the Office of the City Clerk.
5. The Business Administrator shall provide a fully executed copy of this Memorandum of Agreement to the Office of the City Clerk, and the same shall be made available for public inspection.
STATEMENT
Resolution authorizing the Mayor of the City of Newark and/or his designee, the Business Administrator, to enter into and execute a Memorandum of Agreement with Saint Elizabeth University to establish a Guaranteed Education Pilot Program to provide financial assistance to at-risk, disadvantaged Newark students, who meet certain specific qualification criteria and are directly impacted by violence. The University shall serve as the City's agent for the administration and management of $1,000,000.00 to be paid over four (4) years ($250,000.00 per year, not to exceed $6,250.00 per student per year) beginning June 1, 2022, to be used towards the tuition and room and board payment for the (40) students participating in the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program.