Transcript Highlights:

• These are not just programs that train students for a job.
• It allows programs to have the flexibility to use the funds that they have generated to support students
• These are not just programs that train students for a job.
• It allows programs to have the flexibility to use the funds that they have generated to support students
• <00:03:42.640> train These are not just programs train These are not just programs train students

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 1791 was presented as a scholarship/grant program for students in postsecondary technical or career programs offered through their high schools. Representative Scott and Representative Lawrence described it as a way to help students transition into careers or further education by covering costs such as tools, boots, books, and other work-related expenses. The chair noted the bill would be laid over, with limited time for testimony because of a full agenda. Testimony strongly supported the bill. Steve Collina of the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association said manufacturing is a major Minnesota industry and that the bill fills a gap by supporting K-12 career pathways; he emphasized the proposal would not cost the state or taxpayers. Trevor Quennell, a Centennial High School graduate now at Dunwoody College, said the bill would have eased the burden of buying expensive tools and balancing work, school, and transportation. Eric Trost, an instructor at St. Francis High School, explained that Saints Manufacturing is a student-run, elective business-style program that teaches estimating, quoting, logistics, welding, machining, and employability skills, and he said the grant portion is especially important because many students go directly into the workforce. Naomi Brasky, a St. Francis student and Army National Guard enlistee, said the program has given her real-world problem-solving and communication experience and that grants would help cover costs not included in tuition. Members responded positively, with one noting broader trends away from four-year college and calling the bill common sense. In closing, Representative Lorentzen credited instructor Eric Trost for originating the idea and thanked an audience member, Mr. Yost, for supporting the program. The chair then laid House File 1791 over.

Transcript Highlights:

• The reason we're doing this is to try to better account for per-student funding and scholarship programs
• to maintain the same per-student funding as the current year. $31.4 million for the VPK program to maintain
• the same per-student funding as the current year. $4.1 million for the VPK Summer Bridge Program. $3.3
• Chair, we have 543,000 students in scholarship programs.
• And you may have a student who is an autistic student, who shows up in one of our scholarship programs

Summary: The committee first heard the Pre-K-12 education budget proposal for fiscal year 2025-26 and voted to adopt it as the committee’s recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The proposed $34.7 billion budget includes increases for the FEFP, Family Empowerment Scholarships, VPK, school safety, the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, school hardening, Jewish day school security, and an education enrollment stabilization fund. Members asked no questions on the budget before it was advanced, and staff was authorized to make technical corrections. The committee then passed CS/SB 1402, which expands eligibility for dropout retrieval services to any individual who has withdrawn from high school and clarifies how school grades are calculated for virtual instruction providers that offer only dropout retrieval services. An amendment to clarify the grading calculation was adopted without objection, and the bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. The committee also took up SPB 7030, a comprehensive scholarship-program bill sponsored by Senator Gates, which would separate Family Empowerment Scholarship funding as its own categorical, expand the education stabilization fund, create fall and spring application windows, require a single scholarship application and more documentation, assign student IDs, change payments to a monthly schedule, require background checks for paid instructional providers, mandate annual FTE audits by the Auditor General, and standardize reimbursement and eligibility procedures. After extensive discussion and public testimony, the bill was adopted as a committee bill and reported favorably, with Senator Osgood voting no. Finally, the committee considered CS/SB 508, which requires private schools participating in the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program to disclose in writing what accommodations, modifications, and services they will provide for students with existing plans such as IEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans. An amendment was adopted to require public schools to consult with private schools about equitable services, and the bill was reported favorably. Public testimony included support from parent-choice advocates and concerns from private-school representatives about administrative burden and the scope of the required disclosures. The meeting concluded after the final roll call votes and adjournment motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Programs must prepare students for high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupation.
• could matter for those students enrolled in online or cross-state programs.
• > for Programs must prepare students for Programs must prepare students for high-skll,<00:08:06.639
• say, of programs that we think will be eligible for our students.
• say, of programs that we think will be eligible for our students.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call – 0:00:00 Workforce Pell Grant Update – 0:03:30 Extension Office Update – 0:33:25 Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies – 1:07:08 Early Literacy Outcomes – 1:32:20 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 1:58:30 Adjournment 2:13:13, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The intent of this new program is to improve college, career, and military readiness for all students
• When a student is removed from the program, from general education for some or all of the day, they don't
• Just give you a quick example: think about an automotive program in the community where the students.
• on our campus. and comprehensive programs offer a full-time special education placement for students
• Our mission is to provide quality and innovative programs for our students. is severely hindered by the

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This program does help to address food insecurity, which can be a barrier to learning for many students
• A program helps to ensure that all students are able to focus on their studies and reach their full potential
• I was a student on the free lunch program when I was growing up, and even at a young age I did know that
• student on the free lunch program student on the free lunch program program<00:41:57.680> when
• These are students between the ages of 11 and 13. program were parents of families like program were

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• what courses and programs of study students are exploring and what they choose to do with this training
• what courses and programs of study students are exploring and what they choose to do with this training
• We were able to launch this school and open up our program with 700 students that need this support.
• We were able to launch this school and open up our program with 700 students that need this support.
• come, start the program, and also become students of Tarrant County College into one of these aligned

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee heard Senate Bill 1961, which would expand reporting on post-secondary outcomes and workforce data, including employment, earnings, regional labor demand, and credentials of value. Senator Bettencourt said the bill is intended to close data gaps and improve alignment between education programs and workforce needs. Witnesses from Opportunity Austin, Texas 2036, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, and the Fort Worth workforce community testified in support, saying better data would help students, parents, schools, employers, and regional economic development efforts. After questions from members about regional workforce pipelines and semiconductor talent needs, public testimony closed and SB 1961 was left pending. The committee then took up several pending bills and reported them favorably, including SB 1325, SB 604, SB 1832, SB 747, SB 2185, and SB 2395, with committee substitutes adopted where needed. SB 1325 was amended to remove the DSHS commissioner’s authority to issue standing orders for respiratory distress medication in schools. SB 1832, relating to school transfer or private-school funding options for students victimized by a public school employee, and SB 747, relating to intimate visual material policies, were both advanced on recorded votes. SB 2185, on the bilingual education allotment, was initially moved to a local calendar but was later backed up and reported to the full Senate after a fiscal note was noted. SB 2395, on school district general obligation bonds, was also reported favorably and then moved to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also heard SB 646, which would expand the Mental Health Professional Loan Repayment Program to additional professions, increase award amounts, and add stipends for rural and bilingual service. Senator West said the bill responds to mental health workforce shortages and inflation. The Texas Counseling Association supported the measure, and a Hogg Foundation representative said participation has grown sharply since prior changes. SB 646 was left pending. The committee also heard SB 2647, which would create a Texas state accrediting agency and interim oversight system for higher education accreditors; supporters from the Texas Public Policy Foundation and a massage school owner argued it would improve accountability and reduce accreditor overreach, while Senator Menendez raised concerns about effects on law and medical school accreditation and student opportunities. SB 2647 was left pending. Finally, the committee heard SB 2786, which would exempt first responders from the Texas Success Initiative entrance exam, and SB 2615, which would standardize remote-work policies across public higher education institutions. The Texas State Association of Firefighters supported SB 2786, saying it would remove an extra step for career advancement; the bill was left pending because the committee substitute had not yet been adopted. SB 2615 was presented as a way to ensure more consistent in-person staffing expectations while preserving exceptions for illness, disability, and some non-teaching roles; it too was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's start with a quick overview of how the student aid programs are funded.
• <00:40:25.760> The the student aid programs are funded.
• The the student aid programs are funded.
• scholarship, and student teacher stipen program. program. program.
• > as<00:47:47.359> you student financial aid program as you student financial aid program

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education heard presentations from the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) on their strategic plans, enrollment trends, and budget priorities. University of Louisville President Bradley highlighted the university’s new five-year strategic plan, its R1 research status, community-engaged and opportunity college classifications, record enrollment of 25,005 students, and its role in serving first-generation, Pell-eligible, military-connected, and rural students. He also emphasized the university’s economic and workforce impact, including athletics, nursing, dentistry, and a recent Speed School building, and previewed major capital and program requests: a $142 million STEMH building, a $15 million one-time request for National Cancer Institute-related cancer research, and $5.3 million for the Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership. He also discussed a planned $260 million health sciences building and the university’s efforts to expand health care access beyond Louisville through regional sites and residency partnerships. Members responded positively, with Representative Tipton asking about agency bond projects and regional health outreach, and President Bradley saying the university is evaluating debt capacity and exploring smaller projects while noting that the STEM building request would rely on state-funded debt service. He described UofL Health’s expansion into places such as Bullitt County, Shelbyville, Madisonville, and Paducah, and its efforts to train physicians for rural practice. Representative McCool praised the university’s military-friendly designation and cancer research priorities and noted personal family ties to UofL. Michaela Aman, a sophomore from Letcher County, also testified about how UofL has supported her as a rural student and emphasized the university’s commitment to opportunity and social mobility. KCTCS President Ryan Quarles and CFO Todd Kilburn then presented the system’s enrollment, completion, and workforce-training results. They said KCTCS now serves more than 110,000 students, graduated a record 24,000 students last May, and has moved from 45th to 4th nationally in graduation rate. They also highlighted that over half of students are first-generation, 60% work while enrolled, 70% of graduates work in Kentucky, and 74% graduate with no student loan debt. KCTCS described its common-course-numbering agreement with Morehead State as part of a broader transfer simplification effort, and said it trains about 200,000 Kentuckians annually when including workforce training and firefighter instruction. The system also outlined efficiency measures, including property sales, a new bookstore contract projected to save $4.3 million over five years, and a new evaluation process for real estate and facilities. KCTCS’s budget and capital requests included operating funding tied to enrollment growth, support for the TRAINs program, the ECTC training facility at Glendale, continued support for Health Force Kentucky, three capital construction projects at Jefferson, Bluegrass, and Gateway, and asset preservation funding focused on safety and security upgrades. Quarles also referenced House Bill 5, saying it would expand KCTCS’s correctional education and re-entry work and could help reduce recidivism. Members asked about the bill and its impact, and KCTCS said it already provides instruction in jails and prisons and sees the proposal as an extension of that work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Foundation program the way it is and not address the student need challenges that we have.
• current Foundation program and we add funding for weights for student needs on top of that existing
• program.
• That existing Foundation program would kind of be the base for the student weights.
• I do think the ability to maintain the Foundation program with funding for student needs as an initial

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . program. program.
• by designating the welding program at Great Bay Community College is one that the CTE students could
• by designating the welding program at Great Bay Community College is one that the CTE students could
• with a full program with a full program >> uh,<00:45:00.160> get<00:45:00.560> students
• When we look at a program, we really look at sustainability, but really are we giving that student an

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The College Access Program is for our lowest-income students, and essentially if you're eligible for
• They're a little bit different from program to program, but essentially we're looking at students who
• And it's really an incentive program to keep students in Kentucky to the best of our ability.
• The other program is a student teacher stipend, and during the student teaching semester we are paying
• aid programs and out all of the student aid programs and I'll<00:41:14.319> just<00:41:14.560

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met and approved the July 15, 2025 minutes before hearing a presentation from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA/KIA) on student financial aid ahead of the January biennial budget session. KHEAA outlined its role administering 17 state-funded grant and scholarship programs, 529 plans, and outreach services, and emphasized that net lottery proceeds after a $3 million literacy appropriation are statutorily dedicated to student aid. The agency focused on the major need-based programs—College Access Program (CAP), Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG), and KEES—along with dual credit, Work Ready Kentucky, teacher scholarship, and National Guard tuition assistance. Officials said the new federal FAFSA methodology created a major increase in eligible students, especially for CAP, and thanked lawmakers for adding substantial funding this biennium to meet the higher demand. Staff explained that CAP is for Pell-eligible, low-income students, while KTG is a need-based grant for students at private Kentucky colleges; both use FAFSA data, but schools verify final eligibility. They said CAP awards are first-come, first-served and that the higher funding level allowed the program to last the full 21-month application cycle in FY 2024-2025, compared with much shorter periods in earlier years. KHEAA reported about $232 million spent on CAP for roughly 72,000 students last year, with current applications running about 10% ahead of the prior year. Members asked about the difference between applicants and recipients, the effect of lower lottery revenues, and whether recent federal legislation would affect state aid; KHEAA said it does not expect major impacts on grants and scholarships, though student loan changes could affect graduate students. The committee also discussed KEES and dual credit. KHEAA said KEES has been fully funded since its creation and that its forecast was within $76,000 of actual need last year. For dual credit, staff said a recent bill consolidated work-ready dual credit and career/technical education under one scholarship program, and KHEAA will seek growth funding because participation and costs continue to rise. The agency said FY 2025 dual credit spending reached $26.4 million across dual credit and work-ready funding, requiring transfers from Work Ready Kentucky to keep dual credit fully funded. Members asked about transferability of dual credit hours and whether the program reduces later college costs; KHEAA said it does not have hard data on every credit transfer, but it does see higher bachelor’s completion rates and lower student debt, suggesting positive effects. No votes were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Line 13 is the student parent information program. It's $244,000 and it remains at the base.
• Line 13 is the student parent<00:03:40.480> information<00:03:41.040> program.
• This is to ensure that the Northstar Promise Program and institutional definitions of resident student
• This is to ensure that the Northstar Promise Program and institutional definitions of resident student
• Uh, this program is a lifeline for student parents, offering case management, child care assistance,

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 2312 and first adopted the DE1 amendment, after which the amended bill was discussed. Nonpartisan fiscal staff walked through the spreadsheet and explained the bill’s higher education budget changes, including increases for state grants and tribal college assistance, unchanged funding for several existing programs, and reductions or eliminations for items such as state work study, summer academic enrichment, student loan counseling, concurrent enrollment, and the student parent support initiative. Staff also noted transfers to special revenue funds, the cancellation and reappropriation of ALS research funding, and a new licensing/registration revenue item. The committee was told the bill met the committee’s zero target overall, with a net general fund change of zero relative to the February forecast, while also adding some non-general fund expenditures for program licensing and registration. Members asked several questions about the transfers and specific line items, including whether any new special revenue accounts were being created, the foster care wraparound services line, and the treatment of the University of Minnesota and Centric Care partnership. Staff explained that the transfers generally did not create new accounts, that some items were not in the base, and that the U of M/Centric Care partnership was a one-time appropriation in the prior bill but was now being built into the base at a different amount. The University of Minnesota section also included new or continued funding for medical school development, health training restoration, emergency assistance grants, ALS research, and a weather resiliency program, while the Mayo Foundation section eliminated funding for Mayo Medical School and the Mayo family medicine residency program. The policy portion of the DE1 was then introduced. It included a maximum tuition and fee amount for state grants, direct appropriation of emergency assistance grants to Minnesota State, a juvenile justice appropriation for Metropolitan State University, and the ALS research reappropriation to the University of Minnesota. It also contained repealers for unfunded programs, including a delayed repealer for the student parent support initiative. In the higher education policy article, the bill would allow Minnesota State to offer applied doctoral degrees in cybersecurity, make technical changes to hunger-free campus and sexual misconduct procedures, extend pregnant and parenting student protections to private institutions, allow OHE to retain up to 10% of certain competitive grants for administration, consolidate reports, change the state grant formula so negative FAFSA contributions count as zero, and reduce the state grant lifetime credit cap from 180 to 120 credits. The Northstar Promise provisions would limit tuition and fees to resident rates and require MnState, and request the University of Minnesota, to ensure eligible students receive the benefit.

Transcript Highlights:

• We see in Utah there's actually a stipend program now for teachers who are full-time student teachers
• We see in Utah there's actually a stipend program now for teachers who are full-time student teachers
• We see in Utah there's actually a stipend program now for teachers who are full-time student teachers
• from students who um of these programs from students who are<00:23:18.360> already<00:23:19.000
• Support Program that maybe that student Support Program that maybe that student needs<01:26:12.480

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this program will allow high school students that are in the teacher pathway apprenticeship program
• apprenticeship program allow qualified students<00:05:06.880> begin<00:05:07.199> teaching
• This program allows<00:05:11.440> um<00:05:11.919> these<00:05:12.400> students<
• Under this program, a student can actually graduate from college in two years because they go in as a
• So that's, um, really, I think, a student that looks at this and does exactly the way the program is

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Primarily, students who participate in these virtual education programs are full-time.
• as a virtual education education program as a virtual education program<02:55:35.840> student
• student and to be full-time they program student and to be full-time they have<02:55:38.080> to
• There’s no discernible difference in a brick-and-mortar student or a virtual education program student
• Our virtual programs provide really unique opportunities for our students.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And most likely it's is that did a student that that was drew from the school, but not the program.
• One of the hurdles that we tend to find is if a student does withdraw from the program we don't have
• When HB one past, we went from about 250,000 students in the scholarship program to about 500,000 students
• If a student comes to a scholarship program after they've started with the school district and it it
• But given the mobility of this program, if that same student also sees the scholarship program within

Transcript Highlights:

• who are in scholarship out to students who are in these<00:53:14.640> programs<00:53:15.640><
• We served 71,500 students through this program in the 2024 fiscal year, with an average award of about
• This slide provides demographic information on students who are served by the program.
• The smallest category of students receiving the program is 7%, those who are ages 35 or older.
• for students who are eligible for that program.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And nationwide in 2023-24, the counselor-to-student ratio was one counselor for every 376 students.
• Table 5 on the social work degree program highlights the four post-secondary programs.
• Did this kind of program work?
• To encourage student participation, we outline the needs of our students.
• This is what our students deserve.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• dependent student, independent student, or independent student with dependents, because I think those
• dependent student, independent student, or independent student with dependents, because I think those
• student um dependent student independent student um independent<00:07:21.120> student<00:07:21.360
• 00:08:32.800> a<00:08:32.959> student<00:08:33.599> and student is a student is
• a student and student is a student is a student and treating<00:08:34.800> them<00:08:35.120><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• attend the on-site programming, or did you, because your colleague is saying 2/3 of the students currently
• attend the on-site programming, or did you, because your colleague is saying 2/3 of the students currently
• attend the on-site programming, or did you, because your colleague is saying 2/3 of the students currently
• attend the on-site programming, or did you, because your colleague is saying 2/3 of the students currently
• We had a student in Spaulding and they got moved from one program to another.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission on the costing of special education met to review several documents and updates, including draft materials on residential placements, an LBA dispute resolution report, prior minutes, rate-setting rules, and a letter involving Senator Hassan. The minutes from March 16 were approved by motion, second, and one abstention. Members also received an update that the LBA special education performance audit is still pending; the report is expected to be very large, NHED and the Board of Education must review and comment before release, and it likely will not be available until late summer or early fall. The separate EFA audit was also noted as still unreleased, and members said they may return later to issues involving EFA costing and differentiated aid. A major focus was HB 1099, which would create a committee to study the cost and liability of providing educational services to students placed in residential facilities. The chair explained that the House version had passed unanimously and the bill was headed to a committee of conference. Members discussed a proposed amendment to add the phrase “including but not limited to” so the study would cover not only court-ordered or treatment-related placements but also other residential placements, including those tied to school district decisions. Some members said this was a substantial expansion, while others said it would simply give the committee broader latitude. Jason Stock of the Winnisquam Regional School Board described how the issue arose during budget work at Winnisquam, where the district was trying to determine who should pay for educational services for students living at Spaulding Youth Center in Northfield. He said the district had 10 students attending Winnisquam, including three foster students and seven students connected to Spaulding, and that Spaulding-specific invoicing for 2024-2025 totaled $141,417.05 for eight students. Members also discussed rising private placement tuition costs and the difficulty of determining residency and fiscal responsibility for students placed in residential settings. Department counsel explained that under RSA 193:27 and 193:28, children placed in a home for children may attend the local district school, and that special education cost responsibility depends on whether the student is identified as disabled and on the nature of the placement. Spaulding representatives had not yet presented by the end of the excerpt, and the committee was still working through the residency and funding questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we ultimately had to prioritize the state grant program and helping our lowest income students.
• On line 117 is a modification to the student support personnel aid program.
• On line 117 is a modification to the student support personnel aid program.
• On line 117 is a modification to the student support personnel aid program.
• Chair, is that the money that is going in this program is going to support students.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all