Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Foster Scholarship topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears testimony for Foster-to-College scholarship; sponsors propose $7.5M annual appropriation
Summary
Sponsors and proponent witnesses told the Senate Finance Committee that House Bill 164 (and companion SB 182) would create a last-dollar scholarship for youth with foster-care experience, with an initial appropriation of $7.5 million per year proposed and discussion of a prorated start. No committee vote was taken.
The Ohio Senate Finance Committee heard sponsor and proponent testimony on House Bill 164 (the Foster-to-College Scholarship Act) and its companion Senate Bill 182.
Sponsors told the committee the proposal would create last-dollar scholarships for students who were in foster care from age 13 onward and cover a range of postsecondary options, including trade schools, community colleges and 4-year institutions. Testimony said the program would cover remaining tuition and related costs after other grants and scholarships are applied.
Sponsors identified an annual investment of $7,500,000 to be appropriated to the Department of Higher Education to carry out the program. During questioning, sponsors agreed to work with the committee chair to prorate that figure to cover only the remainder of the current school year as an initial step, preserving flexibility for the next budgeting cycle.
Representative Sykes described the scholarship as 'last dollar' aid and emphasized the bill’s eligibility rules: youth who were in foster care on or after their 13th birthday would qualify, while those who were only in care at other ages would not. He said the language was intentionally broad to include vocational, certificate and degree pathways. The sponsors noted House Bill 164 passed the Ohio House 85–5.
Former foster youth and advocates provided firsthand accounts of the program’s potential impact. Gabriela Craft recounted housing instability and student debt she faced after aging out of care and said a scholarship that covers cost of attendance would improve retention. Barbara Adkin read testimony from a pediatrician describing elevated risks — including higher rates of homelessness and incarceration among youth aging out of care — to underline the bill’s public-health and social benefits.
Chairman Dolan closed the HB 164 hearing and said the committee would also hear SB 182; no formal committee votes were taken on either measure during this meeting.
