Senate advances tuition-waiver amendment to boost campus diversity

Senator Lyle Hilliard outlined SB 170 as a targeted measure to preserve campus diversity by permitting institutions to waive the non-resident portion of tuition for a small, selective group of students. "We face a tremendous pressure of growing student enrollment, and 1 of the key driving systems in higher education is that of access," Hilliard told colleagues.

Hilliard said institutions have used such waivers historically for athletics and merit scholars, and that roughly 8 percent of nonresident students have benefited from these waivers to date. He described the bill as preserving the existing number of waivers while allowing institutions to continue inviting select nonresident students without changing residency rules.

Senators questioned whether waivers would privilege athletes; Hilliard responded that schools will decide locally how to allocate waivers and that the bill leaves selection criteria to each institution. "It's left to each school," he said when asked whether the measure addresses athletes specifically.

After brief floor questioning and discussion, the Senate called the question and recorded the roll call. The Clerk reported: "Senate bill 1 70 shows 26 eyes on a 3 f," and the bill was placed on the third-reading calendar for final consideration.

Supporters characterized SB 170 as a narrow tool to retain select out-of-state students who contribute to campus diversity; critics urged legislative oversight if waivers appear to favor athletics or narrow allocations. The transcript does not record a final third-reading passage; the measure was advanced for final consideration.