This legislative bill seeks to amend various sections of the Revised Statutes of Nebraska concerning postsecondary education, with a particular emphasis on community colleges and the Nebraska State Colleges. Key amendments include redefining budget limitations for community colleges and enhancing the powers of the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges to allow for long-term leases and financing contracts for student housing and activity facilities, ensuring that such financing does not utilize state tax funds. Additionally, the bill modifies the Nebraska Career Scholarship Act to broaden eligibility criteria, enabling students with a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher to qualify for scholarships, while also requiring recipients to secure relevant internships or employment.

Moreover, the bill revises definitions related to allowable growth, capital improvements, and restricted funds, impacting the financial management of community colleges. It adjusts scholarship amounts based on composite scores from college admission tests, with maximum awards of $25,000 for high-achieving students and $10,000 for others, along with provisions for automatic renewal for up to four years. The bill also mandates data collection on scholarship recipients' enrollment, retention, graduation, and employment outcomes, while expanding eligible programs to align with workforce needs, particularly in education and engineering, starting in the 2024-25 academic year. Overall, the proposed changes aim to enhance operational flexibility for Nebraska's postsecondary institutions and improve access to higher education and workforce readiness for students.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13-518, 85-304, 85-1402, 85-3003, 85-3004, 85-3006, 85-3202