An Act To Amend Title 14 Of The Delaware Code Relating To The Delaware State Inspire Scholarship Program.
Summary
SB 90 amends Delaware’s Inspire Scholarship Program, which currently pays undergraduate tuition at Delaware State University for up to eight semesters. The bill creates a new option for students who finish a bachelor’s degree before using all of their eligible semesters: any remaining scholarship balance may be applied to tuition for a graduate degree program at DSU. The measure also makes corresponding changes for students who receive additional time to complete an undergraduate degree because they were in foster care, so they too can use unused Inspire funds for graduate study if they graduate early.
The bill further relaxes two eligibility conditions for students using remaining Inspire funds for graduate education. Under the bill, those students do not have to be enrolled full-time and do not have to maintain continuous enrollment, while still needing to meet the program’s other requirements. The legislation also includes technical and conforming changes to the definitions and structure of the scholarship subchapter in Title 14 of the Delaware Code.
Impact
SB 90 changes Title 14 of the Delaware Code by expanding how unused Inspire Scholarship benefits may be used and by adjusting eligibility rules for graduate-level use of the program. It affects Delaware State University, current and future Inspire scholarship recipients, including students who complete degrees early and students with foster care-related extended eligibility. The bill does not create a new scholarship program; rather, it repurposes remaining undergraduate grant eligibility for graduate tuition and modifies program administration standards for that subset of students.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment around SB 90 appears strongly positive and supportive. The bill passed the Senate 19-0 and the House 40-0, indicating broad bipartisan approval and no recorded opposition in the voting history provided. The synopsis frames the measure as a reward for academic achievement and an access-and-opportunity expansion for students continuing their education at Delaware State University.
Contention
No major contention is evident in the available materials. The bill’s main policy choice is whether remaining undergraduate scholarship funds should be allowed to support graduate study, and the synopsis suggests broad agreement with that goal. The only potentially notable policy adjustments are the removal of full-time enrollment and continuous-enrollment requirements for graduate use of remaining funds, but there is no transcript evidence of dispute over those changes. The bill also makes technical corrections and conforming edits, which are typically noncontroversial.