The proposed bill introduces the Hathaway private post-secondary school scholarship, designed to provide financial assistance to eligible students attending private post-secondary institutions in Wyoming. To qualify for the scholarship, students must maintain a minimum cumulative high school GPA and achieve a specified score on a nationally recognized examination. The bill tasks the Department of Education with creating rules for eligibility determination, payment schedules, and reporting requirements for participating schools. The scholarship will cover costs associated with obtaining certificates or degrees, with funding dependent on the availability of resources in the Hathaway scholarship expenditure account.

Furthermore, the bill modifies existing legal language to incorporate the new scholarship into the Hathaway scholarship program's definitions and funding provisions. It emphasizes the importance of audits and compliance for private post-secondary schools receiving funds, enhancing oversight within the program. The bill also mandates a report detailing total scholarship funds and their allocation, including an analysis of how Hathaway scholarships have impacted other scholarship programs. This report will be overseen by the Wyoming community college commission and included in the biennial budget requests of the University of Wyoming and the community college commission. The scholarship will be available to students graduating in the 2025-2026 school year and beyond, with initial eligibility criteria to be determined by the Committee and the Legislature. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
26LSO-0096 v0.4: 21-16-1301, 21-16-1309, 21-16-1311