Bill
HSB 51
The bill stabilizes tuition for new undergrads starting 2026, requires at least one 3-year bachelor’s program by 2027, and creates a work-plus program where employers fund tuition
Status and context
- Introduced: January 22, 2025
- Current status: Committee report approving bill; renumbered as HF 440
- Governing body: Regents institutions (state higher education system)
- Subject areas: Colleges and universities, degrees and diplomas, tuition, employment, regents board, students
Purpose and intent
- The bill seeks to:
- Stabilize undergraduate tuition for students who begin their first academic year in or after 2026
- Expand access to faster bachelor’s degree completion through designated 3-year programs
- Create a work-plus education option that pairs part-time employment with employer-funded tuition and fees
Key provisions
1) Tuition stability for new undergraduates (starting 2026)
- For undergraduate students whose first academic year begins in or after 2026, tuition charged in later academic years would not increase for that student.
- If a student starts with sufficient transfer credits enabling completion of a bachelor’s degree in less than four years, the tuition-stability requirement applies only for the number of years needed to complete the degree (rounded up).
- The tuition-stability provision does not apply beyond three consecutive undergraduate academic years after a student’s first year of enrollment.
2) 3-year bachelor’s degree program requirement
- Each institution under the board must offer at least one bachelor’s degree program that can be completed in three years by the academic year beginning in 2027.
3) Work-plus program (tuition support tied to employment)
- By the academic year beginning in 2027, each institution must establish a work-plus program.
- Under this program, an undergraduate student may pursue a bachelor’s degree with part-time employment, while the employer is financially responsible for tuition and mandatory fees during semesters when the student is employed.
- An agreement between student and employer, established by the institution, must outline rights and responsibilities and include:
- The student must perform part-time work for the employer for at least one semester while enrolled.
- The agreement specifies the conditions and expectations of both parties.
Affected parties
- Undergraduate students at regents institutions, particularly those starting in 2026 or later
- Regents institutions’ administration and program development offices
- Employers participating in the work-plus program
- State budget and policy planners evaluating tuition and employment-based funding mechanisms
Implementation timeline and process
- Subcommittee: January 27, 2025; meeting scheduled for January 30, 2025
- Subcommittee action: Recommends passage (as of January 30, 2025)
- Committee action: Recommends passage; committee report dated February 12, 2025
- Full committee: Passed with a favorable report; renumbered HF 440 (February 17, 2025)
Notes
- The bill text provided is partial and contains some formatting artifacts. The summary reflects the substantive provisions described in the introduced and revised version, including tuition stabilization, 3-year degree programming, and a work-plus tuition support model. For precise language, refer to the official bill text and amendments.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
