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SB 879

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2025 Regular Session Introduced by Adam Ebbin

SB 879 expands dual enrollment to include private and home-schooled students, prohibiting public colleges from charging them tuition and extending grant eligibility.

Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0682)
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Bill Summary · SB 879

Summary — SB 879: Institutions of Higher Education — Dually Enrolled Students — Alterations

Status: Hearing scheduled 3/07 at 9:00 a.m.
Introduced: January 22, 2025
Sponsor(s): Senators Carozza, Corderman, Gallion, Simonaire (et al.)
Effective date in bill text: July 1, 2025

Purpose

SB 879 expands the legal definition of “dually enrolled student” to include students enrolled in nonpublic (private) secondary schools and students receiving home instruction. The change makes those students eligible for existing state supports for dually enrolled students and limits institutional tuition charges for them.

Key provisions

  • Definition change: “Dually enrolled student” is redefined to include a student simultaneously enrolled in:
    • an institution of higher education in Maryland; and
    • a public OR nonpublic secondary school in Maryland, OR a home school in Maryland.
  • Tuition prohibition: A public institution of higher education may not charge tuition to any dually enrolled student (now explicitly including nonpublic and home school students).
  • Local payment obligation (public school students): County boards must pay 75% of the tuition cost charged by a public institution for dually enrolled students who are enrolled in the county’s public schools (existing requirement that continues to apply to public-school students).
    • The bill clarifies that where an agreement predates July 1, 2020, in which institutions charge less than 75%, the county board remains bound by that agreement.
    • Agreements between a public, private, or home school and a public institution may be evaluated and modified every two years.
  • Grants and eligibility: Nonpublic and home school students are made eligible to apply for:
    • Part‑time Grant Program (under §18‑1401) — for undergraduates taking 3–11 semester hours or dually enrolled students; and
    • Early College Access Grant Program (under §18‑14A‑01) — financial assistance targeted to dually enrolled students.
  • Administrative provisions: Grant allocations continue to be administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC); institutions receiving state funds must provide annual audits of fund use.

Who is affected

  • Nonpublic (private) secondary school students and home‑schooled students seeking dual enrollment with Maryland higher education institutions (newly eligible).
  • Public four‑year institutions, Baltimore City Community College, and local community colleges (potential revenue impacts from tuition prohibition).
  • County boards of education (existing 75% tuition payment rule applies to public-school students; possible ambiguity about responsibility for private/home-schooled students).
  • Maryland Higher Education Commission (administration of expanded eligibility and audits).

Fiscal and operational impact

  • State: Expanding eligibility does not itself require new spending, but awarding grants to additional students would require additional appropriation. MHEC must allocate funds based on enrollment and need; institutions may use up to 10% of Part‑time Grant allocations for dually enrolled students (per existing statute).
  • Higher education revenue: Public institution and community college tuition revenues may decrease because more students are protected from being charged tuition.
  • Local school systems: Local community college revenues may decrease. It is unclear under current law whether a local school board is required to pay tuition costs for nonpublic or home‑schooled dually enrolled students; if so, local expenditures could increase. The fiscal note indicates the bill may impose a mandate on a unit of local government.
  • Uncertainty: Net fiscal effect depends on (a) how many nonpublic/home students take up dual enrollment, (b) whether local boards assume tuition payment responsibility for those students, and (c) future appropriations to MHEC for expanded grant awardees.

Implementation & next steps

  • If enacted as written, the bill’s provisions take effect July 1, 2025.
  • MHEC and affected institutions will need to update eligibility, award guidelines, audit procedures, and any application materials to reflect expanded eligibility. Local boards and institutions should review or renegotiate existing dual‑enrollment agreements (the bill permits a biennial review).

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

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