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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget2026-04-23

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill appropriates $11 million to expand the Children of Wartime Veterans Scholarship program. It provides $1 million for the 2025-2026 academic year to restore reduced scholarship amounts, allocates $10 million in recurring funds starting 2026-2027, and doubles the number of available Class II and Class III scholarships from 100 to 200 recipients per class for 2026-2027.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill honors veterans' sacrifices by ensuring their children have better access to higher education funding.
• •The expansion doubles scholarship opportunities for eligible students and restores award amounts that were previously reduced due to budget constraints, directly benefiting more qualifying families while strengthening educational access for this population.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may question whether $11 million in appropriations is the best use of state funds during competing budget priorities, or whether the program's flexibility provisions (such as potential lottery systems and pro rata reductions) adequately protect scholarship recipients from uncertainty.
• •Some may also note that the recurring $10 million appropriation represents an ongoing commitment that could affect future budget flexibility.