West Virginia House Bill HB5244

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/26
• Refer: 2/5/26

Caption

To institute the Learn and Earn program for four-year schools.

Summary

HB5244 would create a two-year Learn and Earn Pilot Program for West Virginia’s baccalaureate state colleges and universities, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year and running through the 2027-2028 school year. The bill directs the chancellor, under the direction of the council and in coordination with the commission and participating institutions, to develop, implement, and administer the pilot in accordance with the existing Learn and Earn program framework and related rules. The bill is aimed at expanding the state’s workforce development initiative beyond community and technical colleges to include four-year institutions, while expressly excluding the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. It also provides that any appropriated or otherwise available funds for the pilot must be kept separate from the funds for the community and technical college program, may carry forward from year to year, and may include up to five percent for administration. The legislation does not require the Legislature to appropriate any specific funding level.

Impact

HB5244 would add a new section to West Virginia Code §18B-3D, extending the Learn and Earn Program to baccalaureate institutions on a temporary pilot basis. This would affect the governance and funding structure for workforce-development programming at four-year public colleges and universities, while leaving the existing Learn and Earn Program for community and technical colleges intact and financially separate. The bill also authorizes administrative costs up to five percent of available pilot funds and allows unspent money to carry forward.

Sentiment

The available context suggests generally favorable intent, with the bill framed as a workforce-development expansion for four-year schools. The caption and bill text indicate a policy goal of broadening access to Learn and Earn opportunities, and there is no recorded committee testimony or vote history showing opposition or support. Because no transcripts or votes are provided, the overall sentiment can only be characterized as neutral-to-supportive based on the bill’s purpose and structure.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are likely to be whether the state should extend Learn and Earn to baccalaureate institutions at all, whether the pilot should be limited to two years, and how the program should be funded without a mandated appropriation. Another possible issue is the separation of funds from the community and technical college program, which may raise questions about resource allocation between two- and four-year institutions. The exclusion of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine may also be notable, though the bill text does not explain that choice.