OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 27 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 27’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Passed by the Senate
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Mathews and J. Thomas
Effective date:
Mariah M. Maldovan, Attorney
SUMMARY
 Requires state universities and community colleges to provide a financial cost and aid
disclosure form to newly admitted students.
 Modifies the Ohio Adoption Grant Program application process.
 Increases from $15 million to $34 million GRF appropriations for the Adoption Grant
Program in both FY 2024 and FY 2025, and reappropriates for FY 2025 any unexpended,
unencumbered balance of the FY 2024 appropriation.
 Makes capital appropriations and reappropriations for the FY 2025-FY 2026 biennium to
the following agencies:
 Ohio Exposition Commission, for Expo 2025 projects ($196 million);
 Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, for the School Building Assistance Program
($600 million);
 Public Works Commission, for local public infrastructure, the State Capital
Improvements Revolving Loan Fund, and the Clean Ohio Conservation Program ($575
million).
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Financial cost and aid disclosure form
The bill requires state universities and community colleges to provide qualifying students
with a financial cost and aid disclosure form. The requirements in the bill begin one year after
the bill’s effective date.1
1 R.C. 3345.026(B) and (D).
April 5, 2024
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Form distribution requirement
The bill requires state universities2 to provide a financial cost and aid disclosure form to
qualifying students as part of the student’s initial financial aid packet.3 Community colleges4 are
required to provide a financial cost and aid disclosure form to qualifying students with the
student’s financial aid award letter.5 A “qualifying student” under the bill is a newly admitted full-
time student who is seeking a degree.6 The form distributed by state universities must be
provided to students prior to the institution’s student admission decision deadline.7 State
universities and community colleges may provide the form to students electronically.8
Form requirements
State universities
The bill requires the financial cost and aid disclosure forms distributed by state
universities to include all of the following information:9
1. Costs associated with attendance, including:
a. General and instructional fees;
b. Room and board, or a reasonable estimate if the qualifying student has not selected
a room and board plan;
c. Special fees that the state university charges at the time the form is created;
2. The qualifying student’s aggregate cost of attendance, including instruction, general, and
special fees and room and board;
3. All available sources of financial aid offered by the state university for which the qualify
student is eligible, including:
a. Grants and scholarships the state university is aware of and that it offers, including a
description of any requirements for maintaining eligibility;
b. Federal student loans, including federal direct subsidized and unsubsidized student
loans;
c. Work study programs, including a description of any requirements for maintaining
eligibility;
2 “State universities” include public institutions of higher education that are a body politic and corporate.
3 R.C. 3345.026(B).
4 “Community colleges” include community colleges, technical colleges, and state community colleges.
5 R.C. 3345.026(D).
6 R.C. 3345.026(A)(1).
7 R.C. 3345.026(B).
8 R.C. 3345.026(B) and (D).
9 R.C. 3345.026(C).
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4. The qualifying student’s expected net cost of attendance after aggregating financial aid
and applying to the student’s aggregate cost of attendance;
5. The qualifying student’s expected monthly education loan payment upon graduation
based on federal student loans;
6. The income range between the 25th and 75th percentiles for the following:
a. The state university’s most recent cohort of graduates;
b. The state university’s cohort of graduates who graduated five years prior to the
qualifying student’s admission;
c. If the qualifying student has declared a major or enrolled in a particular school at the
state university, income ranges for graduates who had that major or were enrolled in
that school.
The form is limited to one double-sided page in length when printed.10
Community colleges
The bill requires financial cost and aid disclosure forms provided by community colleges
to include all of the same information required for state universities above, except for the income
ranges described in the sixth item of the above list. Instead, community colleges must provide
qualifying students a link to a page on the college’s website containing information on those
income ranges with the student’s acceptance letter.
Additionally, the bill clarifies that the requirements of the bill may not be construed to
prohibit community colleges from providing financial counseling, including advising students on
expected monthly loan payments for the total loan amounts a student may borrow.
As with state universities, the forms provided by community colleges may not exceed one
double-sided page in length when printed.11
Form template
The bill requires the Chancellor of Higher Education to develop a financial cost and aid
disclosure form template or approve an existing alternative that addresses the above
requirements. The Chancellor must develop or approve the template in consultation with the
United States Department of Education and financial aid directors from state institutions of
higher education to ensure alignment with the U.S. Department of Education’s College Financing
Plan and other federal financing tools.12 State universities and community colleges are required
to base their forms on the template developed by the Chancellor.13
10 R.C. 3345.026(B).
11 R.C. 3345.026(D).
12 R.C. 3345.026(E).
13 R.C. 3345.026(B) and (D).
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Adoption Grant Program
The bill makes various changes to the Ohio Adoption Grant Program application process.
In order to receive a grant payment, the bill adds the eligibility requirement that the adoptive
parent be an Ohio resident at the time the adoption was finalized. Continuing law requires the
following:
 The adoptive parent has not previously received a grant payment from the program for
the adopted child.
 The adoptive parent does not also currently claim an adoption tax credit for the adopted
child.
 The adoptive parent applies for the grant no later than one year after the adoption is
finalized.
 The adoption is not a step-parent adoption.
 The adoption is finalized on or after January 1, 2023.14
The bill clarifies that any court or legal documents that may be required by the
Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director to prove an adoption must be certified
copies. It also requires any court, in addition to any department, agency, or state division in
continuing law, to provide any document related to the adoption.15
Additionally, under the bill, any document provided to ODJFS remains confidential if it
was confidential under any state or federal law before being provided to ODJFS.16
Finally, the bill increases from $15 million to $34 million GRF appropriations for the
Adoption Grant Program in both FY 2024 and FY 2025, and reappropriates for FY 2025 any
unexpended, unencumbered balance of the FY 2024 appropriation.17
Capital appropriations
The bill makes capital appropriations for the FY 2025-FY 2026 biennium to the following
agencies:
 Ohio Exposition Commission, for Expo 2025 projects ($196 million);
 Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, for the School Building Assistance Program
($600 million);
14 R.C. 5101.192(A).
15 R.C. 5101.193(C).
16 R.C. 5101.194.
17 Sections 29 and 30.
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As Passed by the Senate
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 Public Works Commission, for local public infrastructure, the State Capital Improvements
Revolving Loan Fund, and the Clean Ohio Conservation Program ($575 million).
The bill also reappropriates, for the same purposes, all capital appropriations or
reappropriations an agency has available at the end of FY 2024 for the FY 2025-FY 2026
biennium.18
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 02-15-23
Reported, H. Higher Education 05-08-23
Passed House (88-1) 05-24-23
Reported, S. Workforce and Higher Education 02-28-24
Passed Senate (30-2) 02-28-24
ANHB0027PS-135/ts
18 Sections 6 to 28.
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As Passed by the Senate


Statutes affected:
As Passed By Senate: 5101.192, 5101.193, 5101.194, 307.10, 307.140, H.B