AN ACT relating to the Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship.
Summary
SB106 updates the statutory definitions used in Kentucky’s Education Excellence Scholarship (KEES) program. The bill revises and clarifies terms such as eligible high school student, eligible postsecondary student, participating institution, full-time and part-time student, GPA, KEES award, KEES base amount, KEES supplemental amount, and related program concepts. It also expands the definition of participating institution to expressly include the U.S. service academies beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year, provided they contract with the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority under terms it sets for program administration.
The measure is primarily technical and administrative in nature, but it affects who may qualify for KEES awards and how the scholarship program is administered. It updates eligibility language for high school pathways, including students at specialized schools such as the Gatton Academy and Craft Academy, and it refines postsecondary enrollment and credit-hour requirements for award continuation. By amending KRS 164.7874, the bill would alter the definitions that govern the KEES statutes in KRS 164.7871 to 164.7885, which in turn affects students, participating colleges and universities, and the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority.
Impact
SB106 would amend the KEES statutory framework in KRS 164.7874, changing the definitions that control scholarship eligibility, award calculation, and institutional participation. The bill would not create a new scholarship program, but it would modify the legal standards used to administer existing KEES awards, including eligibility for high school and postsecondary students and the list of institutions that may participate. Its most notable substantive change is the addition of the U.S. service academies as potential participating institutions starting in the 2027-2028 academic year, subject to contract requirements with the authority.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears neutral to favorable. The bill reads as a program update rather than a controversial policy shift, suggesting an administrative cleanup and modest expansion of options for scholarship use. No opposition, amendments, or recorded debate are included in the available context.
Contention
There is no documented contention in the provided transcripts or vote history. The only potentially debatable issue apparent from the text is the expansion of participating institutions to include the federal service academies, which may raise questions about program scope, contract administration, and whether KEES funds should be usable at military academies. Otherwise, the bill’s changes are largely definitional and technical, with no visible partisan or stakeholder conflict in the supplied record.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to petition the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to designate certain highways as United States Highway 111.