Prohibiting promise scholarship awards from being used to fund corequisite courses.

Legislative bill overview

SB 340 would prohibit Kansas Promise Scholarship awards from being used to cover the costs of corequisite courses—supplemental academic support classes often paired with college-level courses for students needing remediation. This restriction would limit what scholarship funds can support, potentially narrowing the scope of what the Kansas Promise program can finance for eligible students.

Why is this important

Corequisite courses are increasingly common in higher education as an alternative to traditional developmental education, designed to help underprepared students succeed in college-level work. Restricting scholarship use for these courses could create financial barriers for lower-income students who need academic support, potentially affecting their ability to complete degrees or reducing what scholarships cover, forcing students to use other funding sources or take on additional debt.

Potential points of contention

• Academic support equity: Restricting corequisite funding may disproportionately affect first-generation and low-income students who most need integrated academic support to succeed in college
• Cost-shifting: Students unable to use scholarships for corequisites would need alternative funding (personal resources, additional loans, or grants), potentially increasing overall student debt burden
• Program effectiveness: Colleges often pair corequisites with college-level courses as a best practice; limiting scholarship coverage could undermine institutional efforts to improve completion rates and student success
• Definitional clarity: The bill would need clear definitions of what qualifies as a "corequisite course" versus regular coursework, which varies by institution