Oklahoma House Bill HB2950

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26
• Refer: 2/3/26
• Report Pass: 2/26/26
• Engrossed: 3/12/26
• Refer: 4/1/26

Caption

Postsecondary education; prohibiting institutions from having differentiated standardized test score requirements for certain students; removing certain differentiated grade point average and test score requirements; effective date; emergency.

Summary

HB2950 makes two related changes to Oklahoma postsecondary education policy. First, it prohibits public colleges, universities, and technology center schools from imposing different standardized test score requirements based on a prospective student’s primary or secondary educational background. That means institutions could not set separate ACT, SAT, CLT, or equivalent score thresholds for students depending on whether they were homeschooled, attended accredited or unaccredited schools, participated in certain programs, or were educated through other nontraditional means, for purposes of admission, placement, concurrent enrollment, or institution-administered scholarships and financial aid. Second, the bill amends the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (“Oklahoma’s Promise”) eligibility statute. It removes the differentiated GPA and test-score pathways that currently apply to students from nonaccredited schools or students educated by other means, replacing them with a more uniform eligibility framework. The bill also keeps the existing structure for other eligibility categories, such as students with certain adoption or military-related circumstances, while preserving the authority of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the State Board of Career and Technology Education to adopt rules and ensure compliance.

Impact

The bill would add a new section to Title 70 and amend Section 2603 governing Oklahoma’s Promise eligibility. In practical terms, it limits how postsecondary institutions and technology centers can use standardized test scores in admissions and aid decisions, and it standardizes access rules for students whose educational background differs from traditional public-school pathways. It also gives the State Regents and the State Board of Career and Technology Education express enforcement and rulemaking authority, which could affect institutional admissions policies, scholarship criteria, and compliance reviews statewide.

Sentiment

The available discussion and vote history suggest generally favorable support, though not unanimous. The bill passed the House Postsecondary Education Committee and the Education Oversight Committee by 7-2 votes, and it passed the House floor by a wider 75-17 margin. Committee comments indicate the bill’s supporters framed it as removing the ACT requirement for homeschoolers to receive Oklahoma’s Promise and preventing higher education institutions from creating extra hurdles for students based on educational background. The adoption of a committee substitute without objection also suggests the measure had enough support to advance with revisions.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to be whether institutions should retain flexibility to set different admissions or scholarship standards for students from different educational backgrounds. Supporters argued that differentiated test-score requirements create unnecessary barriers for homeschoolers and other nontraditional students, while opponents likely objected to limiting institutional discretion or changing existing eligibility standards for Oklahoma’s Promise. The 17 no votes on third reading and the 2 dissenting votes in committee indicate some concern about the policy shift, even though the bill advanced comfortably.