This bill amends the M.J. Foster Promise Program's initial eligibility requirements by revising the minimum age criteria for applicants. Under the new provisions, applicants must be at least twenty years old for the 2024-2025 award year, nineteen for the 2025-2026 year, and twenty-one for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 years. Additionally, applicants must be at least eighteen years old for the 2028-2029 year and seventeen years old for the 2029-2030 year and thereafter. The bill also stipulates that recipients who qualify under the new age requirements will maintain their eligibility as long as they meet other program requirements.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that the administering agency of the M.J. Foster Promise Program submit a report to the House and Senate Committees on Education by January 1, 2028. This report will include data on the number of applicants and recipients, the average age of recipients, the fiscal impact of the new age requirements, potential cost savings, and recommendations regarding the future of these age requirements. The provisions of this Act will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
HB407 Original: 17:2(A)(1)
HB407 Engrossed: 17:2(A)(1)
HB407 Reengrossed: 17:2(A)(1)
HB407 Enrolled: 17:2(A)(1)
HB407 Act 642: 17:2(A)(1)