113th General Assembly
Policy Update

March 24, 2023

WGU Bill Fails in House Higher Education Subcommittee

The bill to allow Western Governors University (WGU) access to the HOPE Scholarship program (SB112/HB116) failed this week in the House Higher Education Subcommittee. After lengthy discussion, the bill failed on a voice vote. The measure would have changed the definition of an eligible institution for HOPE Scholarships by making an exception to the Tennessee domiciled requirement. WGU is an accredited university by a former regional accreditor, but is headquartered in Utah, thus making it an ineligible university. If the bill had passed, it could have opened the door to HOPE funds by other non-Tennessee domiciled accredited institutions operating in the state. TICUA has remained opposed to altering the definition of eligible institutions. This action by the house scuttles further movement of the senate companion bill.

Dual Enrollment Bill to be Considered in House Committee

SB1408/HB957 seeks to address the recent changes to the Dual Enrollment Grant. In the previous session, the General Assembly increased the amount of the grant to match the tuition charges of the public community colleges but also set the increased grant amount as a cap on the cost of the courses. Without state subsidies, it is difficult for some TICUA members to recoup the necessary funds to pay for certain courses. Consequently, TICUA drafted this bill requesting that the cap be removed for private colleges and universities. Rep. William Slater and Sen. Ed Jackson are sponsoring the measure. The bill will now be considered by the House Education Administration Committee on Wednesday, March 29. The senate companion bill has already passed in the senate chamber and is awaiting house action.

Bill Expands Dual Enrollment to Sophomores

in High School

Tennessee Promise Gap Year Bill Amended

A compromise has been reached on SB364/HB348, which allows for a gap year for students seeking to enroll under the Tennessee Promise Scholarship. The original bill was very permissive in allowing students to not enroll in college immediately following their graduation from high school. The compromise amendment allows for the 16-month delay but with requirements and through the appeal process. To be eligible for the gap year provision, students must have followed all the necessary Tennessee Promise required benchmarks while in high school, have decided not to enroll upon graduation, and enter into full-time employment during the delayed enrollment period. 

Rep. Jason Lafferty and Sen. Becky Massey are sponsoring the measure. The house version is slated to be considered by the Education Administration Committee on Wednesday. The senate version passed the Education Committee and is awaiting action in the Finance Committee.
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Teacher Education Student Aid Bills Still in Play 

SB231/HB276 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 at 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. Jeff Yarbro and Rep. Sam McKenzie. The most recent amendment changed the program from a scholarship/loan program to just a scholarship award. The house bill is calendared by the Education Administration Committee to be considered next week while the senate companion bill passed the Education Committee and is headed to the Finance Committee.

SB1220/HB432 proposes a five-year pilot program entitled the “Future Teacher Scholarship Act of 2023.” The scholarship is proposed as a last-dollar program to cover tuition and mandatory fees at a public university. To be eligible, students must graduate from high school with at least a 3.0 GPA, obtain a 21 on any single ACT test, be admitted to an approved teacher preparation program, complete the FAFSA, maintain 2.75 college GPA, and agree to teach in a targeted setting for four years. If the student fails to teach in the targeted setting for a full four years, the student will need to repay the scholarship for each year short of the commitment. Rep. Mark White and Sen. Dawn White are sponsoring the measure.

SB1305/HB251 enacts the “Tennessee Special Educator Scholarship Act,” which provides a $1,500 per year scholarship to eligible special education professionals pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Eligible students must have attained junior or senior status at an eligible postsecondary institution and agree to work in a Tennessee public school for at least three years following graduation in the special education field. Rep. Kirk Haston and Sen. Paul Bailey are sponsoring the measure. The house bill will be heard the week of March 27th in the Education Administration Committee. The senate version is awaiting action in the Finance Committee.

Data Bill Deferred to Next Year

SB461/HB902, sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson and Rep. Chris Hurt, seeks to create a Future Workforce Commission and govern the utilization of the P20-TN statewide data system. TICUA is currently a contributing agency to the data system. The bill, brought by SCORE, seeks to make aggregated data sets more readily available to the general public. The measure also seeks to codify the governing committee, the Office of Evidence Impact (OEI), and establish a series of required annual reports.

In an attempt to reach consensus among the stakeholders, the bill has been amended several times but to no avail. Consequently, Sen. Watson has agreed to move the bill into the Finance Committee and then take no action until the second session of the 113th General Assembly.