AN ACT relating to the dual credit scholarship program.
SB 22 revises Kentucky’s Dual Credit Scholarship Program, which helps high school students pay for college-level courses taken while still in high school. The bill defines eligible students, participating colleges, approved courses, and scholarship limits, and it directs the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) to administer the program in consultation with the Council on Postsecondary Education and the Kentucky Department of Education. It also requires schools to apply for funds on behalf of students and allows awards on a first-come, first-served basis while money is available.
The bill expands the program to cover both general education and career and technical education dual credit courses, sets the scholarship amount at the participating institution’s charge up to a tuition ceiling tied to Kentucky Community and Technical College System rates, and prohibits use of funds for remedial or developmental coursework. It also creates a special pathway for eligible high school apprentices in registered teacher apprenticeship programs, beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year, allowing up to 20 dual credit courses for students pursuing teacher certification. The bill adds reporting requirements for KHEAA and the Kentucky Center for Statistics and creates a trust fund in the State Treasury to support the program, with unspent balances carried forward year to year.
SB 22 amends KRS 164.786 and related provisions governing the Dual Credit Scholarship Program, changing eligibility rules, scholarship caps, repayment obligations, reporting duties, and funding structure. It affects Kentucky high school students, school districts, postsecondary institutions, KHEAA, and state education agencies by formalizing how dual credit scholarships are awarded and administered, and by creating a dedicated trust fund for program financing. It also adds a new teacher-apprenticeship dual credit track tied to educator workforce development.
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill, with the Kentucky Senate passing it 35-1 on third reading. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded debate language to indicate broader discussion, but the vote margin indicates the measure was generally well received. The bill’s focus on reducing dual credit costs and expanding access to college coursework for high school students likely contributed to that support.
The main points of potential contention are the program’s funding limits, the first-come, first-served award process, and the repayment requirement for students who leave the teacher apprenticeship pathway or fail to meet academic standards. The bill also imposes participation conditions on school districts and postsecondary institutions, including tuition caps, transferability requirements, and reporting obligations, which could be burdensome for some providers. The special teacher-apprenticeship track may raise questions about program administration, student eligibility, and whether the expanded course allowance should be limited to a workforce-specific pathway.