Bill would expand FAST dual‑credit aid to private and homeschooled students

Senate Bill 895 seeks to expand eligibility for the FAST (Financial Aid for Swift Transfer) dual‑credit program so that eligible private‑school and homeschooled students may access the program on the same income‑eligibility basis as public‑school students. Senator Hinojosa laid out the bill and said the FAST program (established as part of House Bill 8) currently covers public-school students who meet income thresholds and is funded through the foundation school program.

Laura Colangelo, executive director of the Texas Private Schools Association, testified in support and said the association represents 941 private accredited nonprofit schools educating about 308,000 students. She told the committee FAST can reduce the out‑of‑pocket cost that discourages some private‑school students from taking dual‑credit classes and that the bill would extend aid to low‑income private‑school students (a family-of-four threshold was mentioned in testimony near $58,000).

Benjamin McKay, representing the Texas Homeschool Coalition, also testified in favor and described THSC as advocating for homeschool families statewide; he said the expansion would give homeschool students similar access to dual credit and the associated benefits. Sarah Keaton of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board explained that the FAST program is currently funded via the foundation school program and that SB 895 would establish a general‑revenue appropriation to reimburse institutions for eligible private‑school and homeschool students.

Public testimony was closed and the committee left the bill pending for later consideration.