AN ACT relating to the use of Hathaway scholarships at private post secondary institutions; defining terms; creating a scholarship; establishing eligibility requirements; establishing payment of scholarship funds to private post secondary institutions; specifying success curriculum requirements; modifying the duties of the department of education; providing a sunset date; requiring rulemaking; requiring reporting; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.
HB0057 would create a new Hathaway private post secondary institution scholarship program for eligible Wyoming students attending qualifying private postsecondary institutions in the state. The bill defines eligible institutions broadly to include state-accredited private degree-granting schools authorized to operate in Wyoming, including some institutions exempt from licensure, and allows the scholarship to be used only for certificate or degree costs. The program would be administered by the Department of Education, which would set additional rules, determine eligibility, certify awards to the state treasurer, and oversee reporting and audits.
The scholarship would generally follow Hathaway eligibility rules, but with added requirements for most students: a 3.5 high school GPA, completion of the Hathaway success curriculum, and a standardized test score at or above the 79th national percentile. Students who are homeschooled or who earn a high school equivalency credential would have eligibility criteria set by rule. Awards would be limited to $500 per semester, for up to eight full-time semesters, and capped at 200 students. The bill also includes a sunset date of July 1, 2029, and applies only to students graduating in school years 2025-2026 through 2028-2029.
In state law, the bill would amend the Hathaway scholarship statutes to treat private postsecondary institutions as eligible institutions solely for this new scholarship program, while also directing the use of the Hathaway scholarship expenditure account to fund these awards. It would require school districts to provide transcripts and course-designation information, require private institutions to report scholarship usage, and authorize the Department of Education to audit participating schools. The bill also makes conforming changes to scholarship definitions, funding allocation rules, and reporting requirements.
The overall sentiment reflected in the available record is limited because there were no committee transcripts, but the bill did not advance: it failed introduction in the House by a 39-23 vote. That vote suggests meaningful opposition, likely tied to policy concerns about expanding public scholarship funds to private institutions, though the record provided does not include specific floor arguments.
The main point of contention appears to be whether Hathaway scholarship dollars should be used at private postsecondary institutions at all, and if so, under what limits and oversight. The bill tries to address potential concerns by capping awards, limiting the number of recipients, requiring academic standards, mandating reporting, and adding audit authority and a sunset provision. Supporters likely viewed it as a targeted expansion of student choice and workforce/credential access, while opponents likely questioned the use of state scholarship funds for private schools and the fiscal or policy precedent it could set.
HB0057 would expand Wyoming’s Hathaway scholarship framework by creating a new, temporary scholarship category for students attending qualifying private postsecondary institutions. It would amend existing Hathaway statutes to define private institutions as eligible only for this program, direct payments from the Hathaway scholarship expenditure account to those schools, and require new Department of Education rulemaking, reporting, and audit functions. The bill would also affect school district transcript duties and the way scholarship funds are tracked and reported by participating institutions.
The available record shows limited discussion detail, but the bill’s legislative reception was unfavorable enough that it failed introduction in the House, 39-23. That outcome indicates the proposal had some support but not enough to move forward. With no committee transcript available, the specific arguments are not documented here, but the vote suggests the proposal was controversial rather than broadly accepted.
The central controversy is the use of Hathaway scholarship funds at private postsecondary institutions. Opponents likely objected to directing public scholarship dollars to private schools, while supporters likely argued for broader student access to certificate and degree programs. Secondary points of contention include the bill’s eligibility standards, the $500-per-semester cap, the 200-student limit, and whether the Department of Education should administer and audit the program. The sunset date and reporting requirements appear designed to reduce concerns, but they may not have been enough to overcome opposition.