House Bill 1324 amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to higher education, specifically focusing on the Tennessee student assistance corporation and its governance. The bill establishes that the Tennessee student assistance corporation will operate as a division within the Tennessee higher education commission, which will take over as the governing board of directors for the corporation effective July 1, 2025. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for the corporation to manage student assistance programs and authorizes the commission to expend necessary funds for these purposes.

The bill also updates terminology related to financial assistance programs, replacing references to the "Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grant" with the "TennesseeWORKS scholarship" throughout multiple sections. Other amendments include clarifying the types of programs that culminate in industry certifications and adjusting the language regarding educational credentials. The act is set to take effect upon becoming law, emphasizing the importance of these changes for the public welfare.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-4-201, 49-4-202, 49-4-708(c)(5), 49-4-708, 49-4-902(33)(B), 49-4-902, 49-4-921(e), 49-4-921, 49-4-923, 49-4-902(46), 49-4-905, 49-4-922, 49-4-937(a), 49-4-937, 49-7-202(c), 49-7-202, 4-29-247(a), 4-29-247