HB 193 revises Kentucky’s Dual Credit Scholarship Program and Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program. For dual credit scholarships, it narrows and clarifies eligibility, including requiring a 30-minute college success counseling session, limiting awards to two career and technical education dual credit courses per year and two general education dual credit courses across junior and senior year, and defining participating institutions and tuition caps more precisely. It also updates reporting requirements and preserves the scholarship trust fund as a nonlapsing fund in the State Treasury.
The bill also amends the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program to remove the prior high-school dual credit scholarship provisions from that section and refocus the program on postsecondary workforce students, including certain students in comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs. It updates eligibility, award calculations, reporting, and fund language, while keeping the program aimed at helping Kentuckians earn industry-recognized credentials, diplomas, or associate degrees in high-demand workforce sectors. The bill was signed by the Governor on March 19, 2025.
Impact
HB 193 amends KRS 164.786 and 164.787, changing the statutory structure of Kentucky’s scholarship programs for dual credit and workforce training. It affects the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, the Council on Postsecondary Education, the Kentucky Department of Education, participating colleges and universities, high schools, and eligible students. The bill also modifies scholarship funding rules, reporting obligations, and trust fund treatment, including carryforward of unspent balances and updated data reporting to education and legislative bodies.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House 91-0 and the Senate 38-0, indicating unanimous support in both chambers. With no committee transcript available and no recorded dissent in the voting history, the overall sentiment around the bill was strongly favorable, likely reflecting agreement on expanding or clarifying scholarship access and administrative efficiency.
Contention
No major contention is evident in the available record. The main policy choices in the bill involve tightening eligibility and award limits for dual credit scholarships, removing some prior provisions tied to high school students from the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship section, and refining how scholarship amounts and reporting are handled. If there was any debate, it is not reflected in the provided transcripts or votes, and the unanimous roll calls suggest any disagreements were minimal or resolved before final passage.