Fresh off the floor, the House Higher Education Committee held a public hearing focused on legislation that would make changes to existing state financial aid programs.

One proposal – HB 2615 – would increase the GPA requirement to qualify for a State Need Grant and reduce the period of time a student would be eligible to receive a State Need Grant from five years to four years.

House Bill 2619 would change the current State Need Grant and College Bound programs from a need-based grant program to a “Pay It Forward” program. The bill would require students that receive grants toward tuition agree, through a grant contract, to make contributions to the program one year after completing their higher education program or one year after discontinuation of their higher education program based on their ability to pay contributions based on a percentage of income.

The Committee followed the public hearing with a work session focused on higher education capacity expansion for the state’s private career schools and regulating the private career schools in the State.