113th General Assembly
Policy Update

January 27,2023 

Student Aid Bills Filed

In response to the pending bill filing deadlines, members of the house and senate have been very active filing bills for consideration. As a result, some student aid bills have begun to surface.

SB74/HB27 revives an effort from last session which will allow HOPE scholarship recipients who earn the student's first baccalaureate degree in less than the projected completion time to continue to receive the Tennessee HOPE scholarship in pursuit of an advanced degree. The bill currently allows for HOPE scholarship aid to be applied to public graduate programs. TICUA is seeking to remove the word “public” from the proposed language which would allow recipients to use the aid at a TICUA member institution. The initiative is being sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson and Rep. William Lamberth.

SB231/HB276 is also renewed from last session. The bill changes the amount of a minority teaching fellowship award from $5,000 to the cost of tuition and fees at a public university. This improvement will be for minority students enrolled in a degree program leading to licensure as a teacher in a college or university with an approved educator preparation program. The aid at a TICUA member program will be capped at the average cost of tuition and fees at public universities. The proposed change comes from Sen. Yarbro and Rep. Sam McKenzie.

TICUA Brings Two Proposals for Consideration by the General Assembly

TICUA has brought two legislative proposals for consideration this year. The first request deals with the recent changes to the Dual Enrollment Grant. During the previous session, the General Assembly increased the amount of the grant to match the tuition charges of the public community colleges but also had the increased grant amount serve as a cap to what can be charged. Without state subsidies, it is difficult for some TICUA members to recoup the necessary funds to pay for the program. Consequently, TICUA is requesting that the cap be removed from private colleges and universities. Rep. William Slater and Sen. Ed Jackson have agreed to sponsor the measure.

The second proposal focuses on the Middle College program. This program is designed to offer high school students the opportunity to graduate with an associate degree at the same time they complete their high school requirements. Currently, only public community colleges are eligible for the Middle College grant to assist students in paying for the program. TICUA is seeking to align the eligible institution definition with the Tennessee Promise program. This would allow four-year institutions which offer associate degrees to create a Middle College program and benefit from the student aid scholarship. Rep. William Slater and Sen. Raumesh Akbari are serving as prime sponsors for the proposal.

Future Workforce Commission Proposed