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HB 4587

Prohibiting public funds from supporting low-earning outcome postsecondary degree programs

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Adam Burkhammer and 6 co-sponsors

West Virginia bill restricts public funding for postsecondary programs with consistently low graduate earnings, tying educational investment to income-based performance metrics.

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Bill Summary · HB 4587

Legislative bill overview

HB 4587 would prohibit West Virginia from using public funds to support postsecondary degree programs that produce graduates with consistently low earnings outcomes. The bill would establish performance metrics tied to graduate income and restrict funding for programs that fail to meet specified earning thresholds.

Why is this important

This reflects a broader policy shift toward "outcomes-based" higher education funding, where public investment in colleges and universities is conditioned on demonstrable economic returns. The bill directly affects which academic programs receive state support and could influence institutional decisions about program offerings, potentially reshaping workforce development priorities in West Virginia.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition and measurement challenges: The bill's success depends on how "low-earning outcome" is defined—thresholds could be arbitrary, fail to account for regional cost-of-living differences, or rely on incomplete earnings data that excludes graduates who leave the state
  • Academic diversity concerns: Programs in humanities, social services, education, and other fields essential to community well-being often produce lower-earning graduates; funding restrictions could eliminate culturally or socially valuable degree options
  • Equity implications: Restricting funding for lower-earning programs may disproportionately affect first-generation and low-income students who pursue affordable career paths or fields addressing community needs rather than maximizing income
  • Labor market mismatch: The approach assumes earnings reflect program quality, but factors like regional job availability, discrimination, and underemployment of degree-holders complicate this correlation

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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