SESSION OF 2024
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2539
As Amended by House Committee on Education
Brief*
HB 2539, as amended, would make several changes to
the residency requirements of and update a definition within
the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act.
Residency Requirements
The bill would change the eligibility requirements for a
student to apply for and receive a scholarship by removing
the following requirements:
●Have graduated from an accredited Kansas public
or private high school;
●Attend an accredited Kansas public or private high
school and have obtained a high school
equivalency certificate;
●Have been a resident of Kansas for three or more
consecutive years at the time of application for the
scholarship; and
●Be a dependent child of a military servicemember
permanently stationed in another state and who
graduated from any out-of-state high school within
the last 12 years.
The continuing eligibility requirements for the
scholarship would require the individual to be a U.S. citizen;
____________________
*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.kslegislature.org be a resident of Kansas; to have graduated, completed
graduation requirements, or obtained a high school
equivalency certificate from a secondary school within the
preceding 12 months; or to have been in the custody of the
Secretary for Children and Families at any time while
attending high school in Kansas.]
The bill would also remove the requirement from the
scholarship agreements between the scholarship recipients
and the Kansas Board of Regents that the recipients be a
resident of Kansas for the two years they are required to work
in the state following completion of their program of study.
Other Provisions
The bill would expand the definition of “part-time
student” to include a student who is enrolled in a five-credit
hour certification program.
The bill would also clarify that all scholarship award
amounts would be the aggregate amount of the tuition,
required fees, and the cost of books and required materials
for a Kansas resident.
Background
The bill was introduced by the House Committee on
Education at the request of Representative Thomas.
2- 2539 House Committee on Education
In the House Committee hearing, proponent testimony
was provided by representatives of Cowley County
Community College and the Wichita Chamber of Commerce.
The proponents generally stated that the Promise
Scholarship Program was not currently utilizing all of its
funding appropriated, so the removal of the residency
requirement could both allow for increased utilization of the
program and help develop the state’s workforce.
Written-only proponent testimony was provided by
representatives of the Kansas Association of Community
Colleges, Kansas Hospital Association, and Kansas
Independent College Association.
Neutral testimony was provided by a representative of
the Kansas Board of Regents (Board). The conferee
indicated that the Board had no position on the removal of
residency requirements, but noted that if they were, the Board
would seek guidance on how to prioritize the awarding of
scholarships if submitted applications were in excess of the
$10.0 million appropriation. The Board conferee also stated
that, should the bill pass, it would need additional FTEs to
administer the program.
The House Committee amended the bill to:
●Restore a requirement to be a Kansas resident into
the program’s eligibility requirements;
●Remove eligibility requirements pertaining to where
an individual graduated high school, that the
individual be a resident of Kansas for three or more
consecutive years, or that the individual be a
dependent of a military servicemember; and
●Clarify that the calculation of a scholarship award
would be based upon the aggregate tuition,
3- 2539 required fees, and the cost of books and required
materials for a Kansas resident.
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, the Board estimates that
the bill would require additional expenditures of $80,000 and
1.0 FTE for FY 2025, $82,000 and 1.0 FTE for FY 2026, and
$85,000 and 1.0 FTE for FY 2027. The Board stated the
additional expenditures and FTE would be for the additional
administration volume created by making five-credit
certification programs eligible for Promise Act scholarships.
Any fiscal effect associated with the bill is not reflected in The
FY 2025 Governor’s Budget Report.
Education; postsecondary; Kansas Promise Scholarship Act; Kansas Board of
Regents; colleges; residency; scholarships
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