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House restores broader eligibility for Regents scholarship with guardrails
Summary
Senate Bill 117 passed the House 65–4 on March 9, 2020. The bill expands Regents scholarship eligibility back to certain private, Northwest‑accredited institutions while imposing caps and guardrails to limit stacking and prevent disproportionate awards to a single school.
On March 9 the Utah House passed Senate Bill 117, which expands the Regents scholarship to include some private institutions while adding guardrails to limit payouts and prevent a single institution from receiving a large share of funds.
Representative Owens, the House sponsor, said the bill restores eligibility that had been narrowed the prior session and implements caps so students cannot "stack a bunch of scholarships" and so institutions cannot receive more than the average amount received by other institutions. Owens framed the measure as balancing student choice with protections to keep funding equitable across institutions.
During floor questions Rep. Thurston asked about stacking and cash awards; Owens said the scholarship is limited to tuition and fees and is not a cash award. Representative Winder asked about prior distribution and the sponsor said a past cohort saw approximately 45% of funds go to one institution (BYU), and that the new guardrails are intended to prevent a repeat.
Supporters emphasized preserving student choice and rewarding academic achievement. After debate the House passed SB117 65–4; the bill will be returned to the Senate for further action.
