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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
HOUSE BILL 3297 By: Bennett
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to education; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 2603, which relates to eligibility
requirements for Oklahoma Higher Learnin g Access
Program; providing eligibility for students who
complete certain core curriculum; providing an
effective date; and declaring an emergency .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 2603, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 2603. A. Except as otherwise provided for in
subsection B of this section and elsewhere in this section, to be
eligible to participate in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access
Program and to qualify for an award which includes payment of an
amount equivalent to resident tuition or other tuition pursuant to
Section 2604 of this title for the first semester or other academic
unit of postsecondary enrollment, a student shall:
1. Be a resident of this state or be enrolled in a school
district located in this state that serves students who reside in
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both this state and an adjacent state pursuant to a contract as
authorized in Section 5 -117.1 of this title;
2. Be a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United
States. A student who is not a United States citizen or lawfully
present in the United States shall not be eligible to participate in
the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program and to qualify for an
award notwithstanding t he provisions of Section 3242 of this title.
The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any student who
was enrolled in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program prior to
the end of the 2006-2007 school year;
3. Have a record of satisfactory c ompliance with agreements
executed pursuant to Section 2605 of this title;
4. a. have graduated within the previous three (3) years
from a high school accredited by the State Board of
Education, or the Oklahoma School of Science and
Mathematics with a mini mum 2.5 cumulative grade point
average on a 4.0 scale for all work attempted in
grades nine through twelve,
b. have graduated within the previous three (3) years
from a high school not accredited by the State Board
of Education with a minimum 2.5 cumulativ e grade point
average on a 4.0 scale for all work attempted in
grades nine through twelve and have achieved a
composite score of 22 or higher on the ACT test, or
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c. have satisfactorily completed within the previous
three (3) years an educational program th at was
provided through a means other than a public or
private school and have achieved a composite score of
22 or higher on the ACT test;
5. Have completed the curricular requirements for admission to
an institution within The Oklahoma State System of Hi gher Education
and one additional unit or set of competencies in a course that
meets college admission requirements ; or have completed the core
curriculum and is seeking admission to a technology center school
overseen by the State Board of Career and Tech nology Education. The
curriculum requirements for admission to an institution within the
Oklahoma State System of Higher Education shall include two units or
sets of competencies in foreign or non -English language or
technology courses that meet the colle ge admission requirements and
one unit or set of competencies of a fine arts course. Students
shall also have attained a 2.5 grade point average in the core
curriculum courses. Students who attended a high school which did
not offer all the core curricul um courses or students who were
educated by other means and were not offered all the core curriculum
courses shall be allowed to satisfy this curriculum requirement by
participating in a program approved by the Oklahoma State Regents
for Higher Education for remediation of high school curricular
deficiencies;
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6. Have satisfied admission standards as determined by the
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for first -time-entering
students for the appropriate type of institution, or, if attending a
private institution, have satisfied admission standards as
determined by the private institution. No student participating in
the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program shall be admitted into
an institution of higher education by special admission standards;
7. Have secured admission to, and enrolled in, an institu tion
which is a member of The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education,
a postsecondary vocat ional-technical program offered by a technology
center school that meets the requirements to be eligibl e for federal
student financial aid, or a private instituti on of higher learning
located within this state and accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of
this title; and
8. a. have established financial need according to the
provisions of subsection D of Secti on 2605 of this
title and standards and provisions promulga ted by the
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,
b. if the student was adopted between birth and twelve
(12) years of age while in the permanent custody of
the Department of Human Services, in the court-ordered
custody of a licensed private nonprofi t child-placing
agency, or federally recognized Indian tribe, as
defined by the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, have
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established financial need according to the provisions
of paragraph 1 of subse ction E of Section 2605 of this
title and standards and pro visions promulgated by the
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, or
c. if the student was adopted between thirteen (13) and
seventeen (17) years of age while in the permanent
custody of the Department of Human Services, in the
court-ordered custody of a licensed private nonprofit
child-placing agency, or federally recognized Indian
tribe, as defined by the federal Indian Child Welfare
Act, have established financial need according to the
provisions of paragraph 2 of subsection E of Section
2605 of this title and standards and provisions
promulgated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education.
B. 1. A student shall be eligible to participate in the
Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Progr am and to qualify for an award
which includes payment of an amount equivalent to resident tuition
or other tuition pursuant to Section 2604 of this title for the
first semester or other academic unit of postsecondary enrollment if
the student meets all of the following criteria:
a. is a child of any person killed after January 1, 2000,
in the line of duty in any branch of the United States
Armed Forces or who died after January 1, 2000, as a
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result of an injury sustained while in the line of
duty in any branch of the United States Armed Forces
and the person who wa s killed or died filed an
individual or joint Oklahoma income tax return for the
tax year prior to the year during which the person was
killed or died,
b. is a resident of this state or is enrolled in a school
district located in this state that serves stu dents
who reside in both this state and an adjacent state
pursuant to a contract as authorized in Section 5 -
117.1 of this title,
c. enrolls in an institution within The Oklahoma State
System of Higher Education prior to reaching the age
of twenty-one (21),
d. has satisfied admission standards as determined by the
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for first -
time-entering students for the appropriate type of
institution, or, if attending a p rivate institution,
has satisfied admission standards as de termined by the
private institution. No student participating in the
Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program shall be
admitted into an institution of higher education by
special admission standard s,
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e. has secured admission to, and enrolled in, an
institution which is a member of The Oklahoma State
System of Higher Education, a postsecondary
vocational-technical program offered by a technology
center school that meets the requirements to be
eligible for federal student financial aid, or a
private institution of higher learning located within
this state and accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of
this title, and
f. executes an agreement pursuant to subsection C of
Section 2605 of this title.
2. A student who is eligible to participate in the program
pursuant to this subsection shall not be required to meet the
eligibility requirements set forth in subsection A of this section.
C. To retain eligibility while pursuing the program of higher
learning in which enrolled, the student shall:
1. Meet the requirement s for retention and degree completion as
established by the institution in which the student is enrolled;
2. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory academic
progress according to standar ds of the Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education;
3. Maintain satisfactory academic progress as required for
eligibility for federal Title IV student financial aid programs.
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The provisions of this paragraph shall become effective for the
2012-2013 school year;
4. Comply with the standards related to mainte nance of
eligibility as promulgated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education; and
5. Refrain from conduct that leads to expulsion or suspension
of more than one semester from an institut ion of higher education.
A student who violates the provis ions of this paragraph shall
permanently lose eligibility for program benefits. The provisions
of this paragraph shall become effective January 1, 2008.
D. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher E ducation and the
State Board of Career and Technology Educa tion shall promulgate
rules relating to maintenance of eligibility under the Oklahoma
Higher Learning Access Act by a student.
E. It is the intent of the Legislature that students in the
ninth grade for the 1992-93 school year who are determined to be
eligible Oklahoma Higher Learning Access students pursuant to the
Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Act shall be the first students
eligible for benefits from the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Trust
Fund.
F. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education ar e
authorized to study, develop and propose criteria for determining
award eligibility based upon the completion of seven semesters of
high school coursework by a student.
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SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2024.
SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect an d
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
59-2-9353 MJ 01/04/24