SB 83 expands Kentucky’s KEES scholarship framework to include graduates of Kentucky noncertified nonpublic secondary schools, beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. The bill defines an “eligible noncertified school graduate” and allows those students to earn a KEES award based on an ACT-to-GPA conversion, with the base scholarship amount multiplied by four, plus any supplemental award. It also updates related definitions and eligibility rules throughout the KEES statutes to account for these students and to conform terminology and cross-references.
The bill also makes technical and policy changes to KEES award administration for all recipients. It preserves and clarifies existing provisions for students in Kentucky public schools, certified private schools, foreign exchange programs, military-connected students attending out-of-state or Department of Defense schools, early graduates, and students in postsecondary programs. In addition, it continues and refines scholarship supplements tied to ACT scores, AP, IB, and Cambridge Advanced International exams, and it maintains rules for award duration, GPA-based retention, part-time enrollment, and extensions for illness, natural disaster, or military service.
A separate section broadens the use of KEES funds beyond traditional colleges by allowing eligible students to receive scholarship reimbursement for tuition, books, tools, and approved expenses in registered apprenticeships, qualified workforce training programs, qualified proprietary school programs, approved workforce solutions training programs, and eligible colleges of art and design. These reimbursements are capped by the student’s KEES award maximum and overall lifetime limit, and the bill directs the authority to adopt regulations for implementation in consultation with workforce and economic development agencies.
The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable, at least in the Senate vote, where the bill passed 37-0 on third reading. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate opposition or concerns in the available materials. The unanimous vote suggests broad support for expanding scholarship access and aligning KEES with alternative education and workforce pathways.
The main point of contention, based on the substance of the bill rather than recorded debate, is the extension of public scholarship eligibility to students from noncertified private schools, which may raise questions about oversight, accountability, and whether those schools should be treated similarly to certified schools. Another possible issue is the fiscal impact of adding a new class of scholarship recipients and expanding reimbursement uses, though the bill text repeatedly leaves funding adjustments to the authority based on available resources.
SB 83 amends KRS 164.7874, 164.7879, 164.7881, and 164.7884 to expand KEES eligibility and adjust award administration. It creates a new category of scholarship recipient for graduates of Kentucky nonpublic secondary schools not certified by the Kentucky Board of Education, establishes an ACT-based conversion for those graduates, and authorizes KEES reimbursements for apprenticeships, workforce training, proprietary school programs, approved workforce solutions training programs, and eligible colleges of art and design. The bill also updates cross-references, award formulas, eligibility timelines, and administrative rulemaking authority for the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority.
The available voting history shows clear support for the bill: the Senate passed it 37-0 on third reading. No committee discussion transcript was provided, so there is no direct record of objections or amendments in the supplied context. Based on the text and vote, the bill appears to have been received positively as an expansion of scholarship access and workforce-oriented educational options.
The most likely area of contention is the bill’s decision to extend KEES benefits to graduates of noncertified private schools, which could prompt concerns about whether those schools should qualify for state scholarship support without K-12 certification. A second possible concern is cost and program administration, since the bill broadens eligibility and reimbursement categories while leaving the authority to adjust award amounts based on available funds. Supporters would likely emphasize equity and expanded educational choice, while skeptics may focus on accountability and fiscal exposure.