[Oasfaa] article - OKPromise Day at the State Capitol; SB 529

[Fair, Bryce]

Following is an article from this morning's Daily Oklahoman about Oklahoma's Promise Day at the State Capitol and about SB 529.  You can also find the article online at http://newsok.com/oklahomas-promise-turns-25-scholarship-income-limit-would-rise-under-bill/article/5546116



Oklahoma's Promise turns 25: Scholarship income limit would rise under bill
[Kathryn McNutt]
by Kathryn McNutt<http://newsok.com/more/kathryn-mcnutt> Published: April 20, 2017 12:00 AM CDT Updated: April 20, 2017 12:00 AM CDT

[Sen. Jason Smalley, left, and Rep. Katie Henke, center, speak to Oklahoma's Promise scholarship recipients during an event in support of the program Tuesday at the state Capitol. [Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman]]
Sen. Jason Smalley, left, and Rep. Katie Henke, center, speak to Oklahoma's Promise scholarship recipients during an event in support of the program Tuesday at the state Capitol. [Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman]

More students would be eligible for Oklahoma's Promise tuition scholarship under a bill to increase the family income limit for the first time in 17 years.

Senate Bill 529 by Sen. Jason Smalley, R-Stroud, and Rep. Katie Henke, R-Tulsa, would raise the adjusted gross income limit by $10,000 in two steps.

The bill passed Monday out of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee by a vote of 21-1 and now goes to the full House.

Currently, a family's annual income can be no more than $50,000 when the student enrolls in the program.

SB 529 raises the limit to $55,000 beginning in 2017-18 and to $60,000 beginning in 2019-20. It could mean 1,000 more students will earn college degrees, Smalley said.

The number of award recipients peaked at 20,085 in 2010-11, and has declined each year since, with the number projected to be about 18,000 for 2016-17.
Higher education officials say failure to adjust the income limit for inflation is the biggest factor in the declining enrollment.

The last income limit increase was from $32,000 to $50,000 in 2000. At that time, about 61 percent of Oklahoma families earned less than $50,000, but now it's 41 percent.
"Obviously we haven't kept up in 17 years," Smalley said.

"We want to see those that need it the most get in, and once they do, we want them to complete their degree," he said.

SB 529 includes reforms to reward students for choosing harder degree majors by easing grade-point average requirements and restricts the award for noncredit remedial courses.

Program turns 25
Scholarship recipients, college presidents and state officials gathered Tuesday at the state Capitol to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma's Promise program and to encourage elected officials to continue to protect the program's dedicated funding source.

The program is estimated to cost $74.3 million for 2017-18. The money is taken off the top before the state budget is crafted.

"The state of Oklahoma is excited to invest in you," Henke told the students. "We believe in you. You need to believe in yourself."

Henke said she hopes to continue expanding the program. "I can't wait to see where we'll be 25 years from now."

Former Sen. Maxine Horner, of Tulsa, was honored at the event as author of the bill that established the program. Some 76,000 Oklahomans have received the scholarship over the years.

"I am so excited about 76,000 and all of you here," said Horner, who encouraged the Legislature to expand the opportunity for more students. "I hope there will be many more added to the 76,000."

Attorney General Mike Hunter said the fact that recipients are more successful in college and more likely to earn a degree than the general student population "speaks to the importance and relevance of the scholarship."

"We must keep Oklahoma's Promise to allow our children from low-income families to succeed," said Hunter, who served in the House from 1984 to 1990.
Students enroll in the program in eighth, ninth or 10th grade.  If they complete the requirements, the scholarship pays their tuition at any Oklahoma public college or university for up to five years as long as they remain eligible. It doesn't cover fees or other expenses.




Bryce Fair
Associate Vice Chancellor for Scholarships & Grants
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
P.O. Box 108850
Oklahoma City, OK 73101-8850
Phone: 405-225-9162
Email: bfair at osrhe.edu<mailto:bfair at osrhe.edu>
Fax:  405-225-9230

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