Create Minority Law Student Encouragement Scholarship Pilot Prgm
Impact
The program is designed to benefit a select cohort of 10 to 20 minority students enrolled full-time in baccalaureate degree-granting institutions within Ohio. Each selected student will receive a scholarship of $4,000 per academic year, along with additional resources such as one-on-one mentoring, test preparation materials, and academic support. This funding aims to encourage greater diversity within the legal profession by facilitating access to legal education for underrepresented groups.
Summary
House Bill 584 aims to establish the Minority Law Student Encouragement Scholarship Pilot Program in the state of Ohio, which focuses on providing financial support and resources to minority undergraduate students aspiring to attend law school. This initiative involves an appropriation of $350,000 from the state treasury for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 to fund the program. The bill outlines that the Chancellor of Higher Education will oversee the distribution of these funds to the Ohio State Bar Association to manage the scholarships effectively.
Contention
The establishment of this scholarship program addresses ongoing disparities in law school admissions and the legal field. However, the bill may face scrutiny regarding the allocation of state funds and the effectiveness of the pilot program in achieving its objectives. There may also be discussions about whether such targeted aid sufficiently addresses broader structural issues of access to higher education for minority students.
Establishing a scholarship task force to study scholarship programs and creating the Kansas academic excellence scholarship program to replace the Kansas ethnic minority scholarship program.
To provide appropriations from the General Fund for the expenses of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Departments of the Commonwealth, the public debt and the public schools for the fiscal year July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and for the payment of bills incurred and remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; to provide appropriations from special funds and accounts to the Executive and Judicial Departments for the fiscal year July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and for the payment of bills remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; to provide for the appropriation of Federal funds to the Executive and Judicial Departments for the fiscal year July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and for the payment of bills remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and to provide for the additional appropriation of Federal and State funds to the Executive and Legislative Departments for the fiscal year July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, and for the payment of bills incurred and remaining unpaid at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.