An act relating to schools, the official text

1                   STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2   2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)

3 HOUSE BILL 3703               By: Caldwell (Chad)

4

5

6                               AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021,

    Section 628.13, which relates to concurrent

8   enrollment; requiring school districts to cover the

    cost of tuition waivers for participating high school

9   seniors; requiring school districts to cover the cost

    of tuition waivers for high school juniors subject to

10  available funds; requiring students to reimburse

    fifty percent of the tuition costs if they withdraw;

11  providing an effective date; and declaring an

    emergency.

12

13

14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

15  SECTION 1.      AMENDATORY  70 O.S. 2021, Section 628.13, is

16 amended to read as follows:

17  Section 628.13. A. 1. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher

18 Education, in cooperation with the State Board of Education, shall

19 actively encourage the concurrent enrollment in college or

20 university courses of eligible high school students on high school

21 campuses, on college and university campuses and via online courses.

22  2. The State Regents and State Board shall establish concurrent

23 enrollment requirements with an emphasis on determining course

24 readiness and take all necessary actions to ensure the availability

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1 of concurrent enrollment opportunities to students in all Oklahoma

2 high schools.

3   B. The State Board of Education in cooperation with the

4 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall prepare

5 promotional materials explaining the requirements, features and

6 opportunities of concurrent enrollment and shall ensure that the

7 independent school districts distribute the materials to each

8 student prior to enrollment for each year of high school.

9   C. No institution of The Oklahoma State System of Higher

10 Education shall deny enrollment in any course to any otherwise

11 eligible high school student, or student of at least thirteen (13)

12 years of age who is receiving high-school-level instruction at home,

13 who meets the requirements of concurrent enrollment, nor shall any

14 independent school district prohibit any student who meets the

15 requirements of concurrent enrollment from participating.

16  D. 1. Each high school senior who meets the eligibility

17 requirements for concurrent enrollment shall be entitled to receive

18 a tuition waiver equivalent to the amount of resident tuition for a

19 maximum of eighteen (18) credit hours in their senior year. The

20 cost of tuition waivers provided to public school students pursuant

21 to this section shall be covered by the participating student's

22 school district.

23  2. Subject to the high school senior concurrent enrollment

24 program being fully funded, each Each high school junior who meets

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1 the eligibility requirements for concurrent enrollment shall be

2 entitled to receive a tuition waiver equivalent to the amount of

3 resident tuition for a maximum of nine (9) credit hours in their

4 junior year, subject to the availability of school district funds.

5   3. Tuition waivers provided pursuant to this section shall be

6 granted without any limitation on the number of waivers granted in

7 any year other than the amount of district funds available for the

8 program and the number of eligible applicants.

9   4. Any public school student who receives a tuition waiver

10 pursuant to this section and withdraws from a concurrent enrollment

11 course after the withdrawal deadline shall reimburse the school

12 district fifty percent (50%) of the course tuition costs.

13  E. When a student earns college credit through concurrent

14 enrollment, school districts shall provide academic credit for any

15 concurrently enrolled higher education courses that are correlated

16 with the academic credit awarded by the institution of higher

17 education. Academic credit shall only be transcripted as elective

18 credit if there is no correlation between the concurrent enrollment

19 higher education course and a course provided by the school

20 district.

21  F. On or before December 1 of each year, the Oklahoma State

22 Regents for Higher Education shall issue an annual report on the

23 concurrent enrollment program implemented pursuant to this section.

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1 The annual report shall include but not be limited to the following

2 information:

3   1. The number of students participating in concurrent

4 enrollment;

5   2. The number of students participating in concurrent

6 enrollment who received tuition waivers pursuant to subsection D of

7 this section;

8   3. The high school graduation rate of students described in

9 paragraphs 1 and 2 of this subsection; and

10  4. The number of students described in paragraphs 1 and 2 of

11 this subsection who earned an associate's degree or a bachelor's

12 degree at an institution of higher education.

13  The annual report shall be posted on the websites of the

14 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the State Department

15 of Education.

16  SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.

17  SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation

18 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby

19 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and

20 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.

21

22  60-2-15071      SW  12/19/25

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