Senate Education panel hears proposal to limit Promise Scholarship funds for co‑requisite remediation hours

The Senate Education Committee on Friday heard proponents for Senate Bill 340, a measure to amend the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act to prohibit Promise scholarship awards from funding co‑requisite remediation hours.

Tamara Lawrence, the committee reviser, told members the bill would change the statute’s treatment of award amounts and limitations and would take effect July 1 upon publication in the statute book. Heather Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Association of Community Colleges, testified in support and asked the bill’s language be revised to refer to “co‑requisite hours” so the state would pay for the three credit‑bearing hours but not the two additional developmental hours that accompany a co‑requisite model.

"The difference between remedial and co‑requisite means that remedial is a three‑hour stand‑alone class that didn't count toward graduation," Morgan said. "Co‑requisite means a college algebra three‑hour course plus two hours of review so that the student is successful. We're asking not to pay for the two developmental hours, but to pay for the base three credit hours that count toward graduation."

Committee members sought clarification on how that change should appear in the bill’s text. Senator Petty asked specifically whether the amendment should appear on page two, line 12; Morgan and the reviser said they would work together to craft language reflecting that the scholarship would cover the credit‑bearing hours but not the additional remediation hours.

The committee received one written proponent comment from Claudia Fury Aguire of Aligned and was directed to background materials provided by the Kansas Board of Regents. No neutral or opponent testimony was offered.

The hearing was closed after members agreed staff would work with the reviser to prepare the precise draft amendment for later consideration.