The bill amends the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program by extending the time period for eligible students to enter into agreements for participation in the program. It allows students to enter into agreements no later than December 31 of their twelfth-grade year, rather than prior to entering the eleventh grade. Additionally, the bill introduces provisions for exceptions to age limits, permitting the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to grant exceptions under certain circumstances, particularly for hardship cases. It also specifies that students who are twenty-one years or older are not eligible to participate in the program.

Furthermore, the bill updates income eligibility criteria for students applying for participation, establishing new income thresholds based on the number of dependent children. It clarifies that financial qualifications will be determined based on the income of the student rather than the parents in certain situations, such as when the student is independent for federal financial aid purposes. The bill mandates that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education promulgate rules to implement these changes and ensures that the program's administrative processes are maintained. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and includes an emergency clause for immediate implementation upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 70-2605