SENATE BILL No. 24
AN ACT concerning education; relating to the Kansas promise scholarship program;
expanding the postsecondary educational institutions eligible to participate in such
program; increasing the maximum appropriation for such program; amending K.S.A.
2024 Supp. 74-32,271, 74-32,274 and 74-32,274, as amended by section 2 of this act,
and repealing the existing sections.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. On and after July 1, 2026, K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-
32,271 is hereby amended to read as follows: 74-32,271. (a) K.S.A.
2024 Supp. 74-32,271 et seq., and amendments thereto, shall be known
and may be cited as the Kansas promise scholarship act.
(b) As used in the Kansas promise scholarship act:
(1) "Eligible postsecondary educational institution" means:
(A) Any community college or technical college established under
the laws of this state and with a recognized service area;
(B) the Washburn institute of technology; or
(C) any not-for-profit institution of postsecondary education with
its main campus or principal place of operation in Kansas that offers a
promise eligible program, is operated independently and not controlled
or administered by any state agency or subdivision of the state,
maintains open enrollment and is accredited by a nationally recognized
accrediting agency for higher education in the United States; or
(D) any institution of postsecondary education with its main
campus or principal place of operation in Kansas that offers a promise
eligible program, is recognized by the state board of regents, is
accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency for higher
education in the United States and is eligible to receive funding under
title IV of the higher education act of 1965.
(2) "Military servicemember" means the same as defined in
K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 48-3406, and amendments thereto.
(3) "Part-time student" means a student who is enrolled for six
credit hours or more in the fall, summer or spring semester and is not
enrolled as a full-time student.
(4) "Promise eligible program" means any two-year associate
degree program or career and technical education certificate or stand-
alone program offered by an eligible postsecondary educational
institution that is:
(A) Approved by the state board of regents;
(B) high wage, high demand or critical need; and
(C) identified as a "promise eligible program" by the state board
of regents pursuant to K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,272, and amendments
thereto, or a "promise eligible program" within a field of study
designated by an eligible postsecondary educational institution pursuant
to K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,273, and amendments thereto.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,274 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 74-32,274. (a) Subject to appropriations, the amount of a
Kansas promise scholarship for a student for each academic year shall
be determined as follows:
(1) For a student enrolled in a promise eligible program offered by
an eligible public postsecondary educational institution described in
K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,271(b)(1)(A) or (B), and amendments
thereto, the scholarship amount shall be the aggregate amount of
tuition, required fees and the cost of books and required materials for
the promise eligible program at the eligible postsecondary educational
institution for the academic year in which the student is enrolled and
receiving the scholarship minus the aggregate amount of all other aid
awarded to such student for such academic year.
(2) For a student enrolled in a promise eligible program offered by
an eligible private postsecondary educational institution described in
K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,271(b)(1)(C), and amendments thereto, the SENATE BILL No. 24—page 2
scholarship amount shall be the aggregate amount of tuition, required
fees and the cost of books and materials for such program for the
academic year in which the student is enrolled and receiving the
scholarship minus the aggregate amount of all other aid awarded to
such student for such academic year, except that a scholarship awarded
pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed the average cost of tuition,
required fees and the cost of books and required materials for such
promise eligible program when offered by an eligible public
postsecondary educational institution described in K.S.A. 2024 Supp.
74-32,271(b)(1)(A) or (B), and amendments thereto.
(b) Kansas promise scholarships shall only be awarded to an
eligible student whose family household income equals $100,000 or
less for a family of one or two, $150,000 or less for a family of three
and, for household sizes above three, a household income that is equal
to or less than the family of three amount plus $4,800 for each
additional family member.
(c) (1) Kansas promise scholarship awards shall be used only to
pay for up to a total of 68 promise scholarship funded credit hours or a
total of $20,000 in Kansas promise scholarship awards, whichever
occurs first, over the lifetime of the student who received the Kansas
promise scholarship award regardless of the eligible postsecondary
educational institution such student attended.
(2) Kansas promise scholarship awards shall not be used to fund:
(A) Prerequisite classes required for a promise eligible program
unless such classes are a designated course within the eligible program;
or
(B) any remedial course, as defined in K.S.A. 76-7,151, and
amendments thereto, unless such course is offered in a corequisite
format.
(d) For each fiscal year, the appropriation made for the Kansas
promise scholarship program shall not exceed $10,000,000
$15,000,000.
(e) The state board of regents shall disburse funds based on
reimbursement requests from eligible postsecondary educational
institutions. Reimbursement requests shall be based on the actual
amount of Kansas promise scholarship amounts awarded by an eligible
postsecondary educational institution for the appropriate academic
period. Any eligible postsecondary educational institution seeking
reimbursement shall submit a reimbursement request to the state board
of regents on or before September 1, December 1, March 1 and June 1
of each year. The state board of regents shall disburse the appropriate
amount of funds to eligible postsecondary educational institutions on
September 15, December 15, March 15 and June 15 each year.
(f) As used in this section, "aid" includes any grant, scholarship or
financial assistance awards that do not require repayment. "Aid" does
not include any military financial educational benefits or any family
postsecondary savings account or other qualified tuition program
established pursuant to section 529 of the internal revenue code of
1986, as amended.
Sec. 3. On and after July 1, 2026, K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,274,
as amended by section 2 of this act, is hereby amended to read as
follows: 74-32,274. (a) Subject to appropriations, the amount of a
Kansas promise scholarship for a student for each academic year shall
be determined as follows:
(1) For a student enrolled in a promise eligible program offered by
an eligible public postsecondary educational institution described in
K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,271(b)(1)(A) or (B), and amendments
thereto, the scholarship amount shall be the aggregate amount of
tuition, required fees and the cost of books and required materials for SENATE BILL No. 24—page 3
the promise eligible program at the eligible postsecondary educational
institution for the academic year in which the student is enrolled and
receiving the scholarship minus the aggregate amount of all other aid
awarded to such student for such academic year.
(2) For a student enrolled in a promise eligible program offered by
an eligible private postsecondary educational institution described in
K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,271(b)(1)(C) or (D), and amendments
thereto, the scholarship amount shall be the aggregate amount of
tuition, required fees and the cost of books and materials for such
program for the academic year in which the student is enrolled and
receiving the scholarship minus the aggregate amount of all other aid
awarded to such student for such academic year, except that a
scholarship awarded pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed the
average cost of tuition, required fees and the cost of books and required
materials for such promise eligible program when offered by an eligible
public postsecondary educational institution described in K.S.A. 2024
Supp. 74-32,271(b)(1)(A) or (B), and amendments thereto.
(b) Kansas promise scholarships shall only be awarded to an
eligible student whose family household income equals $100,000 or
less for a family of one or two, $150,000 or less for a family of three
and, for household sizes above three, a household income that is equal
to or less than the family of three amount plus $4,800 for each
additional family member.
(c) (1) Kansas promise scholarship awards shall be used only to
pay for up to a total of 68 promise scholarship funded credit hours or a
total of $20,000 in Kansas promise scholarship awards, whichever
occurs first, over the lifetime of the student who received the Kansas
promise scholarship award regardless of the eligible postsecondary
educational institution such student attended.
(2) Kansas promise scholarship awards shall not be used to fund:
(A) Prerequisite classes required for a promise eligible program
unless such classes are a designated course within the eligible program;
or
(B) any remedial course, as defined in K.S.A. 76-7,151, and
amendments thereto, unless such course is offered in a corequisite
format.
(d) For each fiscal year, the appropriation made for the Kansas
promise scholarship program shall not exceed $15,000,000.
(e) The state board of regents shall disburse funds based on
reimbursement requests from eligible postsecondary educational
institutions. Reimbursement requests shall be based on the actual
amount of Kansas promise scholarship amounts awarded by an eligible
postsecondary educational institution for the appropriate academic
period. Any eligible postsecondary educational institution seeking
reimbursement shall submit a reimbursement request to the state board
of regents on or before September 1, December 1, March 1 and June 1
of each year. The state board of regents shall disburse the appropriate
amount of funds to eligible postsecondary educational institutions on
September 15, December 15, March 15 and June 15 each year.
(f) As used in this section, "aid" includes any grant, scholarship or
financial assistance awards that do not require repayment. "Aid" does
not include any military financial educational benefits or any family
postsecondary savings account or other qualified tuition program
established pursuant to section 529 of the internal revenue code of
1986, as amended.
Sec. 4. K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,274 is hereby repealed.
Sec. 5. On and after July 1, 2026, K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-32,271
and 74-32,274, as amended by section 2 of this act, are hereby
repealed. SENATE BILL No. 24—page 4
Sec. 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
I hereby certify that the above BILL originated in the
SENATE, and passed that body
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SENATE adopted
Conference Committee Report ________________
_________________________
President of the Senate.
_________________________
Secretary of the Senate.
Passed the HOUSE
as amended _________________________
HOUSE adopted
Conference Committee Report ________________
_________________________
Speaker of the House.
_________________________
Chief Clerk of the House.
APPROVED _____________________________
_________________________
Governor.