Title
Dept/ Agency: Administration/Office of Business Administrator
Action: (X ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Memorandum of Agreement
Purpose: To establish a Guaranteed Education Pilot Program with Rutgers University, to provide financial assistance to at-risk, disadvantaged Newark residents, who meet certain specific qualification criteria and are directly impacted by violence.
Entity Name: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Entity Address: 195 University Avenue, Newark, New Jersey 07102
Grant Amount: Not to exceed $300,000.00 annually or $1,200,000 over Four (4) Years
Funding Source: 2024 Budget / Brick City Peace Collective Grant/ NW051, G24, A24J0, A, 72030, B2024
Program Term: Maximum of four (4) years commencing on May 1, 2024 through May 1, 2029
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, Rutgers University shall serve as the City's agent for the administration and management of up to $1,200,000.00 to be paid over a potentially four-year period (not to exceed $300,000.00 per year or $15,000.00 per student, per year) commencing May 1, 2024, to be used towards the tuition and room and board payment for no more than twenty (20) students participating in the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program.
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WHEREAS, on or about December 27, 2022, 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 March 30, 2024, by Resolution 7R1-m the City authorized the acceptance of the Five Million Dollars and Zero Cents ($5,000,000.00) 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 no more than One Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($1,200,000.00) of the Grant Funds, budgeting no more than Three Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($300,000.00) 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, 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, the Education Pilot Program will grant full scholarships to up to twenty (20) students to complete their four-year bachelor's degrees; and
WHEREAS, the application for the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program established certain criteria and specific requirements which include the following: (1) City of Newark resident and (2) justice impacted in one of the following ways: (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, (d) has lost a parent or sibling to violence or (e) if student applied or participated in SYEP and/or completed a Workforce Certification Program; 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, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, of 195 University Avenue, Newark, New Jersey 07102 (“the University”), an agency of the State of New Jersey, was currently able to participate in this Guaranteed Education Pilot Program; accept at-risk, disadvantaged Newark students; 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, through intentional selection and support, the parties will collaboratively develop a system that positions students for academic success to complete bachelor’s degrees on the Rutgers University - Newark campus; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to enter into an agreement with the University to establish the 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; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(2), the Municipal Council may negotiate and award a contract without public advertising for bids and bidding therefore when the contract is made or entered into with an agency of the State of New Jersey..
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 (“MOA”) with Rutgers University - Newark, 195 University Avenue, New Jersey 07102, to establish a Guaranteed Education Pilot Program (“Program”) to provide financial assistance to up to twenty (20) at-risk, disadvantaged Newark students, who meet certain specific qualification criteria and are directly affected and impacted by violence.
2. Rutgers University - Newark will serve as the City's agent for the administration and management of the Program in accordance with the attached MOA. The term of said MOA shall be for two (2) years commencing on May 1, 2024 and ending on April 30, 2026. The Mayor or Business Administrator may extend the contract for one additional two-year term.
3. The total amount paid pursuant to the MOA (including any extension) shall not exceed One Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($1,200,000.00). The maximum amount expended in any one year shall not exceed the sum of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($300,000.00) or Fifteen Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($15,000.00) per student, which sum shall be used towards the tuition and room and board payment for up to twenty (20) student beneficiaries of the Program.
4. Attached hereto is a Partial Certification of Funds for Three Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($300,000.00), representing payment for the first year of the 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-G24-A22J0-A-72030-B2024, through the Brick City Peace Collective Grant. For each remaining fiscal year of the Program, the CFO shall certify the availability of all funds to be charged to the budget for that fiscal year
5. The Business Administrator shall provide a fully executed copy of the 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 Rutgers University - Newark 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 up to $1,200,000.00 to be paid over four (4) years (not to exceed $300,000.00 per year or $15,000.00 per student per year) beginning May 1, 2024, to be used towards the tuition and room and board payment for up to twenty (20) students participating in the Guaranteed Education Pilot Program.