HB265--POSTSECONDARYEDUCATIONFINANCIALASSISTANCEAWARDS
SPONSOR: Shields
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
HigherEducationandWorkforceDevelopmentbyavoteof13to1.
Beginninginthe2025-26academicyear,thisbillspecifiesan
increaseforeligiblerecipientsoftheAccessMissouriFinancial
AssistanceProgram.
Forpublictwo-yearinstitutionsthemaximumincreasesby$400to
$1700andtheminimumby$200to$500.
Forpublicfour-yearinstitutionsandtheStateTechnicalCollege,
andapprovedprivateandvirtualinstitutions,themaximum
increasesby$700to$3500andtheminimumby$250to$1750.
Thebillreplacesthephrase"expectedfamilycontribution"with
"studentaidindex"whichistheamountofmoneyastudentand
familyshouldpaytothecostofpostsecondaryeducationas
calculatedbytheUSDepartmentofEducation.
ThisbillissimilartoHB2326(2024).
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisfinancialaidisimportant
formanyyoungpeoplefromlowerincomes. Theamounthasn'tbeen
increasedformanyyearsandisnolongersufficienttocoverthe
costsforstudents.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Shields;
MissouriCommunityCollegeAssociation;IndependentCollegesand
UniversitiesofMissouri;andMissouriNationalEducation
Association.
OPPONENTS:Therewasnooppositionpresentedinperson.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.