House tightens New Century Scholarship eligibility, passes bill 71-2

The Utah House passed second substitute House Bill 23 on a 71-2 vote, tightening eligibility and maintenance requirements for the New Century Scholarship and allowing limited use of the award at qualifying nonstate institutions with monetary caps.

Representative King, sponsor of the bill, said the measure corrects an earlier oversight and restores the program’s original narrow focus. "The bill ... requires a 3.0 grade point average in those associate degree classes," King said, and it requires maintaining a 3.0 GPA during the subsequent two university years to retain the scholarship.

Floor debate focused on academic standards and fairness. Representative Breaux argued that requiring a B average makes a difficult double-course load for students even harder and could discourage participation among students already carrying heavy schedules and work commitments. Supporters, including Representative Shortliffe, countered that setting a B average is a reasonable standard for scholarship recipients who will be entering university-level coursework at the junior level.

Members also debated whether the scholarship should be usable at certain private institutions. A motion to amend the bill to restrict eligibility to state-system institutions failed; proponents of the original language said the scholarship goes to the individual student, not the institution, and that restricting institutions would disadvantage students who are residents but opt for private schools.

The House recorded 71 yes votes and 2 no votes. HB23 will be referred to the Senate for further action.

Next steps: The bill proceeds to the Senate where additional hearings and possible amendments may follow.