Education (Student Financial Aid)

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1020: Higher education; Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program; eligibility for children of certain public school employees; effective date; emergency.

HB 1020 expands eligibility for Oklahoma's Higher Learning Access Program to include children of public school employees who have worked for at least five consecutive years. This specifically covers teachers, librarians, certified nurses, support staff, and correctional instructors with teaching certificates paid by public funds. The bill exempts these students from the standard financial need requirement, automatically qualifying them for tuition assistance. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education must verify the parent's employment status to implement this change.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands tuition assistance eligibility for children of educators, removing financial barriers to higher education access and directly funding educational opportunities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1747: Higher education; Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program; no award for reenrollment in failed courses; effective date; emergency.

HB 1747 prohibits Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OK-HLAP) funding for students reenrolling in courses they previously failed. The bill directly affects Oklahoma students receiving OK-HLAP financial aid, which covers tuition at public or private higher education institutions. Key provisions ban payments for retaking failed courses starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, while maintaining existing rules on funding for remedial courses (banned since 2018-2019) and other eligibility limits. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and was declared an emergency.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits OK-HLAP funding for retaking failed courses, restricting financial aid access and limiting program usage for higher education students.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

Track

passed · Oklahoma · Senate Mar 31, 2026

SB 1272: Higher education; increasing income eligibility for an Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1272 raises the maximum family income limit for Oklahoma students to qualify for the Tuition Equalization Grant, a program providing up to $2,000 annually toward college costs. This change directly affects low- and middle-income Oklahoma residents who were previously ineligible due to income thresholds but now meet the updated criteria. The bill amends statute 70 O.S. § 2632 to reflect this higher income limit without altering the grant amount or other eligibility requirements, and it takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationSB 1272 expands access to higher education funding by raising income eligibility for Oklahoma's Tuition Equalization Grant, allowing more low/middle-income students to qualify for up to $2,000 annual aid.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

Track

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 1243: Career and technology education; creating the National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act; tuition assistance; repayment amount; hardship waiver; creating fund; effective date; emergency.

HB 1243 creates the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Program, providing tuition assistance to eligible Oklahoma National Guard members enrolled in state technology center programs that lead to certification or licensure. The program covers tuition costs (up to a three-year limit) for members who agree to remain in service for 24 months after completing their training and maintain academic requirements like a 2.0 GPA. Members who fail to meet service or academic obligations must repay assistance calculated as a monthly amount based on the total assistance received, though hardship waivers are available. The program is funded through a new revolving fund in the state treasury, supported by annual state appropriations, and administered by the State Board of Career and Technology Education.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates dedicated state fund for tuition assistance, directly allocating budget resources to fund National Guard education programs without tax changes.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates tuition assistance fund for National Guard members in career tech programs, expanding educational access and funding for vocational training.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProvides tuition assistance for National Guard members in technology certification programs, funding workforce development in technology fields.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProvides tuition assistance for National Guard members' career training, directly supporting veterans' education and employment benefits through state-funded program.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education Student Financial Aid National Guard & Reserve Veteran Education

Track

died · Oklahoma · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 1054: Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship Program; modifying eligibility; removing certain eligibility criteria.

SB 1054 would have modified the Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship Program by removing specific eligibility requirements for applicants. The bill aimed to expand access to the scholarship program, which supports education-related opportunities tied to Tulsa reconciliation efforts. It directly affected students or applicants who previously met the excluded criteria. The proposed change focused solely on revising the program's qualification rules, without altering funding or other program structures. (Note: The bill was withdrawn and died in conference; this summary reflects its intended policy changes.)

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves eligibility barriers to expand scholarship access, directly advancing educational access for students under the Tulsa Reconciliation program.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 1249: Higher education; prohibiting certain institutions of higher education from using state funds for certain purposes. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1249 prohibits Oklahoma public universities from using state funds to provide scholarships, grants, tuition aid, or discounted tuition to foreign national students starting in the 2026-2027 academic year. This directly affects public higher education institutions in Oklahoma's state system (like the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University) and foreign national students who would have received state-funded financial aid. The bill requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to create implementing rules and takes effect on July 1, 2026. The law does not change eligibility for federal aid or private scholarships.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts state funding for foreign student aid at public universities, limiting educational access for international students in higher education.95% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRestricts state-funded financial aid for foreign national students, limiting access to higher education services for non-immigrant students.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid DACA & Dreamers

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 2242: Higher education; Inspired to Teach Program; certain advanced degrees; effective date; emergency.

HB 2242 creates the "Inspired to Teach Program" to support future educators in Oklahoma. It provides scholarship funding covering tuition, fees, and living costs for undergraduate teacher education students (up to $5,500 total) and graduate students in school counseling, special education, or administration (up to $4,500 total), based on credit hours completed. Participants must agree to teach or work in Oklahoma public schools (pre-K-12) for five consecutive years after graduation and maintain academic standards. The program requires the State Regents to establish a committee to evaluate effectiveness and report annually to the Legislature.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates scholarship program funding teacher education tuition/fees, requiring 5-year teaching commitment in OK public schools to support educator pipeline.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Teachers

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 2928: Schools; Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program; eligibility for children with incarcerated parents; effective date.

HB 2928 expands Oklahoma's Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program to include students with disabilities who have at least one parent in prison, in addition to existing eligibility for students with disabilities. It also retroactively allows students previously denied scholarships due to lacking an IEP/ISP on October 1, 2009 (but meeting all other requirements) to qualify. The program continues to provide private school choice for eligible students, requiring prior public school attendance (with specific exemptions) and private school acceptance. School districts must inform parents about this option annually through existing special education notices.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands scholarship access for disabled students with incarcerated parents and retroactively includes previously denied students, enhancing educational access under the scholarship program.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Special Education Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 2232: Higher education; Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Act; eligibility requirements; effective date.

HB 2232 updates eligibility rules for Oklahoma's Higher Learning Access Program, which provides financial aid for higher education. It sets annual family income thresholds for financial need eligibility, starting at $55,000 in 2017-2018 and increasing to $100,000 by 2018-2019, with adjustments based on dependent children (e.g., $60,000 for ≤2 dependents, $80,000 for ≥5). Public and private schools must designate a contact person (e.g., counselor) to help students enroll and monitor participation requirements, including regular school attendance and avoiding substance abuse or violent behavior. Students who fail to meet these terms lose eligibility for program benefits.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands higher education financial aid access by raising income thresholds from $55k to $100k, increasing eligibility for more students.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 376: Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program; removing prior public school enrollment requirement. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 376 removes a requirement that students must have attended a public school in the prior year to qualify for the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. This change expands eligibility to more students with disabilities, including those who transferred from out of state or were in foster care, without needing prior public school enrollment. The bill also updates other program details, such as the process for securing private school admission and notifying the State Department of Education. It directly affects Oklahoma families seeking to use this scholarship to enroll children with disabilities in participating private schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves enrollment barrier for disability scholarships, expanding access to students in foster care/transferring from out-of-state, directly increasing educational opportunity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Student Financial Aid

Track