Committee recommends changes to Career Builders and expands low‑income state grant cap; amendment loosens cost‑of‑attendance restriction

Senate Bill 2147, addressing the Career Builders scholarship/loan‑repayment program, Native American scholarships and a supplemental state grant for low‑income students, received testimony and amendments in the House Education Committee before the panel voted to recommend the bill be referred to Appropriations.

Senator Jonathan Sickler, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure is the result of the interim Higher Education Committee’s work to improve student financial assistance programs that target workforce needs and low‑income students. He described several program changes: clarifying the definition of "private sector donor," allowing private donors and employers greater discretion over repayment terms, permitting Career Builders eligibility for people who live just across state borders (within 50 miles) but work in North Dakota, and codifying the practice that total state financial aid awarded cannot exceed an individual student's cost of attendance.

Sickler said the supplemental state grant for low‑income students would be tied to the highest in‑state public tuition rate (so the grant amount is capped at the institution's cost of attendance after other aid is applied). The University System estimates that change would increase annual state costs by roughly $6,100,000; sponsors included a $12,200,000 appropriation in the bill to cover the biennial impact.

Supporters from business and health care testified in favor of strengthening Career Builders. Andrea Fenig of the Greater North Dakota Chamber said the program is a valuable public‑private partnership that helps fill high‑demand occupations identified by the Workforce Development Council. Marnie Walt of Sanford Health said health care accounts for roughly 30 percent of Career Builders uses at her institution and that the program reduced reliance on expensive contract staff.

Representative Schreiberbeck offered an amendment to remove statutory language that prevented the State Board of Higher Education from issuing scholarships that exceed a student's total cost of attendance. Schreiberbeck said the change was prompted by constituents who lost state scholarship awards because other scholarships put them at or above the statutory cap; she argued students should not be penalized when they earn outside scholarships. The amendment was seconded and adopted on a roll call (11‑3). Opponents of the amendment raised concerns about losing a policy control that prevented combined awards from exceeding cost‑of‑attendance limits.

After amendment debate the committee moved a do‑pass recommendation and referred Senate Bill 2147, as amended, to the Appropriations Committee. The committee recorded a unanimous roll‑call vote in favor of the do‑pass referral (14‑0).