An act relating to higher education, the official text

1                       STATE OF OKLAHOMA

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

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3 SENATE BILL 1272                        By: Hines

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6                       AS INTRODUCED

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7   An Act relating to higher education; amending 70 O.S.

7   2021, Section 2632, as amended by Section 1, Chapter

8   129, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 2632),

8   which relates to eligibility for an Oklahoma Tuition

9   Equalization Grant; increasing income eligibility;

9   updating statutory language; updating statutory

10  references; providing an effective date; and

10  declaring an emergency.

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1 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

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14  SECTION 1.          AMENDATORY  70 O.S. 2021, Section 2632, as

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1 5 amended by Section 1, Chapter 129, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,

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1 6 Section 2632), is amended to read as follows:

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17  Section 2632. A. To be eligible for an Oklahoma Tuition

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1 8 Equalization Grant, a student shall:

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19  1. Be an Oklahoma a resident of this state as defined by the

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2 0 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education;

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21  2. Have enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in an

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2 2 eligible institution of higher education as prescribed in subsection

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2 3 D of this section;

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1   3. Meet the income eligibility level, which is the student's

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2 parents' income from taxable sources which shall not be more than

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3 Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) Eighty Thousand Dollars

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4 ($80,000.00) per year or the student's income if the student is

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5 independent and self-supporting as determined by the State Regents

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6 consistent with federal financial aid regulations;

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7   4. Pay more tuition than is required at a comparable public

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8 institution of higher education and pay no less than the regular

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9 tuition required of all students enrolled at the institution where

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1 0 in which the student is enrolled; and

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11  5. Maintain at least minimum standards of academic performance

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1 2 as required by the enrolling institution.

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13  B. The enrolling institution shall forward a completed student

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1 4 application, documentation of full-time enrollment status, and

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1 5 certification of resident status to the State Regents no later than

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1 6 October 15 for the fall semester and March 15 for the spring

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1 7 semester of each academic year.

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18  C. Subject to the availability of funds in the Oklahoma Tuition

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1 9 Equalization Grant Trust Fund, an Oklahoma Tuition Equalization

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2 0 Grant in the amount of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) per academic

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2 1 year, or One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per academic semester

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2 2 shall be awarded by the State Regents by allocation from the

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2 3 Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant Trust Fund, beginning with

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2 4 eligible students enrolled in the 2003-2004 school year. No grants

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1 pursuant to this act the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant Act

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2 shall be provided to students for attending summer terms or

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3 intersessions.

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4   D. The State Regents shall implement policies and procedures

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5 for the administration of this act the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization

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6 Grant Act. The State Regents shall approve as eligible institutions

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7 of higher education only those private or independent, not-for-

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8 profit colleges or universities that are domiciled within this

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9 state, meet approved program and accreditation standards as

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1 0 determined by the State Regents, and are fully accredited by the

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1 1 Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association on

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1 2 Colleges and Schools or a national accrediting body recognized by

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1 3 the United States Department of Education. To be eligible,

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1 4 institutions must shall have been granted not-for-profit status

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1 5 granted by the Internal Revenue Service and the U. S. United States

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1 6 Department of Education prior to July 1, 2012. Additionally,

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1 7 eligible institutions shall adhere to the complaint process policies

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1 8 and procedures administered by the State Regents. The State Regents

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1 9 shall review and take action, as authorized, on complaints

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2 0 concerning eligible institutions. The eligible institutions shall

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2 1 include Family of Faith College, Mid-America Christian University,

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2 2 Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma

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2 3 City University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Oral Roberts

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1 University, Southern Nazarene University, Southwestern Christian

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2 University, the University of Tulsa, and Randall University.

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3   E. If funds are not sufficient in the Oklahoma Tuition

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4 Equalization Grant Trust Fund to provide grants for all eligible

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5 applicants, the State Regents shall award grants on the basis of

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6 need and take into consideration other grants and scholarships

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7 received by an eligible applicant when awarding grants. Students

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8 who have previously received a tuition equalization grant and who

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9 continue to meet the requirements for eligibility shall have

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1 0 absolute priority for continued financial support superior to any

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1 1 student who is applying for a grant for the first time.

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12  F. Students enrolling as first-time freshmen for the 2003-2004

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1 3 school year shall be the first class of students eligible to apply

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1 4 for Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grants. In subsequent years, all

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1 5 previously eligible students and the first-time enrolling freshmen

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1 6 students shall be entitled to apply for a grant pursuant to this

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1 7 section. Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, all eligible

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1 8 students shall be entitled to apply for a grant pursuant to this

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1 9 section.

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20  G. A grant provided by pursuant to this section shall not be

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2 1 allowed for courses or other postsecondary units taken in excess of

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2 2 the requirements for completion of a baccalaureate program or taken

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2 3 more than five (5) years after the student's first grant is was

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2 4 received. The State Regents may award an Oklahoma Tuition

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1 Equalization Grant for courses of postsecondary units taken more

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2 than five (5) years after the student's first grant is was received

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3 only in hardship circumstances. No Oklahoma Tuition Equalization

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4 Grant recipient may receive benefits beyond a cumulative time period

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5 of five (5) years.

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6   H. On or before February 1 after the first semester in which

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7 grants are awarded pursuant to this act the Oklahoma Tuition

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8 Equalization Grant Act and every year thereafter, the State Regents

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9 shall provide a report to the Governor, President Pro Tempore of the

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1 0 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to include,

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1 1 but not be limited, to the number of students awarded grants, and

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1 2 the grade point average, persistence rates, degree completion rates,

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1 3 demographic data, and any other indicators for such students the

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1 4 State Regents deem appropriate.

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

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16  SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation

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1 7 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby

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1 8 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and

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1 9 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.

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