HB 3 appropriates $6.58 million from the General Revenue Fund for the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to cover operational expenses, grant administration, and scholarship programs for public and private higher education institutions during fiscal year 2025-2026. It also allocates a separate $1 million "one-time" fund from General Revenue for a statewide campaign targeting adults without college credentials, plus $74,245 for regulating proprietary schools and $153,797 for closing proprietary schools. All funds must be spent within constitutional limits and specific purposes outlined in the bill, with no additional funding beyond the designated fiscal year.
HB 3091 creates a "Minority and Underrepresented Environmental Literacy Program" through scholarships for students in environmental fields. It establishes a "Recruitment and Retention Scholarship Fund" to provide financial support to minority and underrepresented students (prioritizing groups identified by the National Academy of Sciences) pursuing degrees in environmental engineering, environmental sciences, environmental chemistry, or environmental law enforcement. The program is administered by the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development with funds from general revenue, federal sources, or private donations. The bill also creates an advisory committee to oversee scholarship selections and requires annual reporting on administrative entities (though this appears disconnected from the scholarship provisions in the provided text).
HB 3037 modifies Missouri's tax credit program for donations to scholarship organizations, allowing taxpayers to claim a 100% credit for contributions (up to 50% of their state tax liability) toward scholarships. The bill sets a $75 million annual cap on total credits, adjusted yearly based on state education funding changes, with unused credits carryable forward for up to four years. Donors cannot designate which student receives a scholarship, and the program activates only when transportation funding meets specific thresholds tied to 2021 levels. This affects taxpayers donating to educational assistance organizations seeking to fund student scholarships through state tax incentives.
HB 2866 establishes Missouri's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program, which provides tax credits to Missouri taxpayers who donate to qualifying charitable organizations that fund education scholarships. Taxpayers can claim a credit equal to 100% of their contribution (capped at 50% of their state tax liability), with a total annual spending limit of $150 million adjusted yearly based on school funding. The program directs scholarship funds to eligible students through educational assistance organizations, limiting certified organizations to 15 per year and allocating tax credits on a first-come, first-served basis. It directly affects taxpayers making donations, charitable organizations administering scholarships, and families seeking education options beyond traditional public schools.
HB 2930 requires students renewing Missouri's empowerment scholarship to provide proof of household income, demonstrating that their annual income does not exceed 300% of the income standard for free and reduced-price lunch programs. This requirement applies to all renewal applications and determines eligibility for the next school year; exceeding this threshold makes a student ineligible. The bill does not alter the existing list of allowable expenses, which include tuition, textbooks, educational therapies, and approved technology at qualifying schools. It directly affects families seeking to continue using the scholarship for their children's education.
HB 2911 modifies Missouri's Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act to create a tuition award program for eligible public safety workers. It provides up to 100% of resident tuition for associate or bachelor's degrees in approved fields (e.g., criminal justice for police, fire science for firefighters) to personnel with at least six years of service who hold current licenses/certificates and meet admission requirements. Dependents of personnel with ten years of service qualify for similar awards. Applicants must first apply for all other federal and state financial aid before accessing this tuition award.
HB 3022 modifies Missouri's empowerment scholarship program to provide state-funded accounts for eligible students. It directly affects Missouri students with disabilities (via IEPs) or from low-income households (income ≤300% of free lunch standards), and schools accepting these funds. Key provisions require participating schools to not discriminate based on race, religion, or gender identity, and ensure public schools continue receiving state/federal funding for students who use scholarships to attend non-resident schools (counted for up to five years). The law expires five years after its effective date.
SB 1612 - This act creates the "Success for Homeless and Foster Youth in Higher Education Act" and requires all public institutions of higher education to designate a homeless and foster student liaison within the institution's financial aid office. The liaison shall assist current and prospective students in applying for federal and state financial aid, as provided in the act. A public institution of higher education may grant resident status to a Missouri resident who is 19 years of age or under at the time of enrollment, regardless of how long the student has resided in the state, if the student is determined to have been homeless at any time during the two years immediately preceding such student's enrollment. A public institution of higher education that offers student housing may develop a plan to provide that homeless and foster students have access to housing resources as needed during and between academic terms. The plan may grant such students first priority for housing placement and provide that they be placed in the institution's housing facility that remains open for occupation during the most days in a calendar year. This act is similar to HCS/HB 2722 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON
HB 2697 modifies the definition of "qualified student" for Missouri's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program. It excludes students who are "illegal aliens" and adds two eligibility pathways: (1) students with an IEP under federal special education law, or (2) students from households earning ≤300% of the free/reduced lunch income threshold who attended public school recently or meet specific grade-level/sibling criteria. The bill directly affects students seeking scholarship funds to attend participating private, charter, or virtual schools. It does not create new funding but changes who qualifies for existing scholarship accounts under Section 166.700.
SB 1610 creates a dedicated Liaison position within the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. This role will directly assist homeless students pursuing postsecondary education by coordinating support services and navigating college resources. The bill establishes this position as a concrete mechanism to improve access and stability for homeless pupils in higher education. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 2 sentences as requested.)
