HB1413
To Amend The Lottery-funded Scholarship Programs To Include Vocational-technical Schools And Technical Institutes As Approved Institutions Of Higher Education.
Last Action (May 1, 2023): Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment
Sponsors
AI-Generated Summary
House Bill 1413 amends the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship, and the Arkansas Concurrent Challenge Scholarship programs. The primary purpose is to expand the definition of 'approved institution of higher education' to include public and private vocational-technical schools and technical institutes. To participate, these institutions must be bonded and insured. The bill restricts scholarship eligibility at these institutions to students enrolled in programs leading to an associate degree or certificate in specific high-demand fields, namely industry, health care, or information technology. It also mandates that the Division of Higher Education report annually to the Legislative Council regarding the distribution of financial aid and the status of these high-demand fields. Additionally, the bill repeals previous language that excluded students enrolled in certain vocational centers from concurrent challenge scholarship eligibility.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries are students pursuing vocational or technical education in Arkansas, specifically those focusing on high-demand fields such as industry, health care, and information technology. Additionally, public and private vocational-technical schools and technical institutes benefit from the potential increase in student enrollment driven by scholarship access.
Who Might Suffer?
There are no clear groups or entities directly and negatively impacted by this legislation, as it primarily serves to expand the availability of existing state-funded scholarship resources to additional educational institutions and fields of study.
Get Notified
Receive an email when this bill's status changes.