County Boards of Education – Post College and Career Readiness Pathways – Payment of Costs

HB 1262 requires Maryland county boards of education to provide free access to post-college and career readiness pathways (including college prep programs, early college/dual enrollment, and career tech programs) for all students meeting college and career readiness standards. It specifically allows counties to set income eligibility guidelines for covering costs of competitive college prep programs (like IB or AP), but mandates free access to all pathways for students with family incomes below 400% of the federal poverty level. The bill also requires schools to provide counseling to help students choose pathways and guarantees high school credit for completed programs.