To enact sections 3333.46, 3333.461, and 3333.462 of the Revised Code to establish the Armed Forces Reserve Component Scholarship Program and related funds and to make an appropriation.
HB748 creates the Armed Forces Reserve Component Scholarship Program within the Ohio Department of Higher Education. The program would provide scholarships to Ohio residents who are members of a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces, have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree, and are enrolled at least part time in an eligible degree, nursing diploma, credential, licensing, trade certification, or apprenticeship program tied to an in-demand occupation. Scholarships would cover up to 100% of tuition at state institutions, and would also cover tuition at qualifying private and career institutions up to specified caps, with the chancellor of higher education responsible for approving applications and administering payments.
The bill also creates reserve and donation funds to support the program and includes a $10 million General Revenue Fund appropriation for fiscal year 2027. It sets out rules for eligibility, enrollment verification, coordination with other federal aid, and repayment obligations if a recipient fails to complete the required reserve service. It also protects recipients called to active duty by allowing leave of absence, limiting academic penalties, and extending eligibility for missed terms. The bill expressly excludes recipients from having their scholarship reduced by Montgomery GI Bill benefits.
In addition to the scholarship itself, the bill directs the chancellor and the director of budget and management to estimate and monitor program costs, and it requires institutions to provide tuition waivers or grants if scholarship amounts are reduced because appropriations are insufficient. The measure therefore affects state higher education law, military education benefits, and state budget law by creating new statutory sections and a dedicated funding structure for the program.
Because HB748 was only introduced and had no recorded votes or committee testimony in the provided materials, there is no formal legislative record of support or opposition yet. The bill’s structure suggests generally favorable treatment of reserve-component service members and their educational access, but it also builds in fiscal controls and repayment provisions that may be intended to address budget exposure and service-obligation compliance.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be cost, whether the program should be funded at the proposed level, and how broadly scholarship eligibility should extend across public, private, nursing, career, and apprenticeship programs. Another possible issue is the administrative burden on institutions and the state in verifying enrollment, coordinating with other aid, and handling repayment or reduced appropriations.
HB748 would add new sections to the Revised Code establishing a state scholarship entitlement for eligible Ohio reserve-component service members and creating two related funds: a reserve fund and a donation fund. It would also appropriate $10 million in GRF support for fiscal year 2027 and require the Chancellor of Higher Education to administer the program, certify eligibility, coordinate with institutions, and manage cost monitoring and reporting. The bill would directly affect state institutions of higher education, qualifying private institutions, career colleges, and eligible reserve members, while also creating repayment and leave-of-absence rules tied to military service and active-duty mobilization.
The available record shows no committee debate, testimony, or votes, so there is no documented public sentiment in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed to be supportive of reserve-component service members and their educational goals, with bipartisan-style framing around military service, workforce training, and tuition assistance. At the same time, the inclusion of funding caps, cost projections, and repayment provisions suggests an effort to balance that support with fiscal oversight and accountability.
No specific contention is documented in the provided transcripts or voting history because none were supplied. Likely areas of debate include the size and source of the appropriation, whether the scholarship should cover full tuition at multiple types of institutions, and how the program interacts with other federal and state aid. Institutions may also have concerns about administrative requirements, especially enrollment certification, tuition-waiver obligations if funding is short, and the handling of students who are called to active duty.