To enact sections 3301.96 and 3333.89 of the Revised Code to establish the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program, to require the Department of Education and Workforce to hire a full-time school foster care liaison, and to make an appropriation for the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program.
SB 13 would create a new Foster-to-College Scholarship Program for Ohio students who have been in foster care, or in certain qualifying kinship care situations, beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. The scholarship would cover remaining cost of attendance after other aid is applied, including Pell Grants, state grants, institutional aid, Chafee ETV grants, and other gift aid. The bill also requires applicants to complete FAFSA, apply for Chafee ETV if eligible, enroll in an eligible postsecondary program, and maintain satisfactory academic progress.
The bill also directs the Department of Education and Workforce, if sufficient general revenue funds are available, to hire a full-time school foster care liaison. That liaison would coordinate with child welfare agencies, schools, and other parties to help students in foster care remain in their school of origin when appropriate, or to ensure prompt transfer and enrollment when a move is in the student’s best interest. The liaison would also help with transportation, records transfer, transition planning, and information about the scholarship program. In addition, the Chancellor of Higher Education would oversee the scholarship program and work with an organization already administering the Chafee ETV program to employ four full-time foster care student navigators to help students apply to college and for financial aid.
The bill appropriates $7.5 million in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for the scholarship program and creates a dedicated fund by transferring $15 million from the General Revenue Fund into the new Foster-to-College Scholarship Fund. It also authorizes the Chancellor to adopt administrative rules for the program. In practical terms, the bill would expand state support for foster youth transitioning to higher education and create a new administrative structure to identify, advise, and enroll eligible students.
The general sentiment reflected by the bill’s design is strongly supportive of foster youth and educational access, with an emphasis on stability, college affordability, and coordinated services. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded debate or formal vote history in the materials to indicate broader legislative support or opposition.
Potential points of contention are mostly fiscal and administrative rather than policy-based. The bill depends on available funds for the school liaison position, creates a new scholarship entitlement subject to appropriation limits, and requires coordination among multiple agencies and institutions. Private colleges may opt out of participation, while participating private institutions must fill any remaining gap with their own aid, which could raise implementation concerns. The use of state funds, the size of the appropriation, and the requirement for new staff and interagency coordination are the most likely areas of scrutiny.
SB 13 would add new sections 3301.96 and 3333.89 to the Revised Code, creating a state foster-care education liaison role and a new higher-education scholarship program for qualifying foster youth and certain kinship-care students. It would also establish a new dedicated fund, appropriate $7.5 million per year for the program, and require a $15 million transfer from the General Revenue Fund. The bill would affect the Department of Education and Workforce, the Chancellor of Higher Education, public children services agencies, private child placing agencies, schools, and participating colleges and universities.
The bill appears to be broadly supportive of foster youth and their educational transition needs, with a clear policy goal of improving school stability and college access. Because no committee discussion or vote history was provided, there is no direct evidence of opposition or amendment activity in the record supplied. Based on the text alone, the measure reads as a targeted assistance bill with a positive social-services and higher-education focus.
The main likely points of contention are funding, administrative burden, and participation requirements. The bill conditions the school foster care liaison on sufficient available funds, and the scholarship program is limited by the amount appropriated, which may prompt questions about sustainability and demand. Private institutions may opt out, but those that participate must provide enough institutional aid to cover remaining costs, which could be debated by higher-education stakeholders. Coordination among child welfare agencies, schools, juvenile probation, guardians ad litem, and colleges may also raise implementation concerns.