House Committee Substitute

AUTHORITY TO CONFER DEGREES

(Sections 172.280 and 174.160)

This act authorizes Missouri State University to grant Doctor of Philosophy degrees in disciplines other than engineering and to grant Bachelor of Science degrees in veterinary technology.

These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025).

STEM GRANT

(Section 173.685)

This act requires the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD) to make available a grant to study science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) subjects for $1,500 per year, up to a maximum of $6,000, to eligible recipients. The act outlines eligibility criteria for a grant, including financial considerations that are also included in the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program. The act specifies certain requirements for renewing a grant, such as the achievement of satisfactory academic progress, as the term "satisfactory academic progress" is defined in the act, and having completed five or fewer semesters at a two-year institution or a total of 10 semesters at an approved four-year institution.

This provision shall sunset August 28, 2031.

This provision is identical to HB 168 (2025) and similar to HB 2313 (2024) and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024).

CAREER-TECH CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

(Section 173.836)

This act establishes the "Career-Tech Certificate (CTC) Program" and the "Career-Tech Certificate (CTC) Program Fund" to reimburse the costs of eligible students' tuition, books, and fees to certain approved institutions, such as two-year community colleges and technical schools, that offer eligible programs of study or training programs.

The act defines an "eligible student" as any student who meets the eligibility requirements for the A+ Schools Program or who has earned a Career and Technical Education Certificate in accordance with criteria outlined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. To qualify, the student shall not have received reimbursement for tuition, books, or fees under the A+ Schools Program. An "eligible program of study" is a program of instruction that results in the award of a certificate or credential below the graduate level in an area of occupational shortage, as determined annually by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. The length of an eligible program of study shall not exceed the equivalent of 60 credit hours. A "training program" is defined as a program of study that leads to a certificate or degree that does not meet the length-of-program requirements for an eligible program under federal regulations regarding federal grants and loans for postsecondary students. Training programs include, but are not limited to, certified nurse assistant programs, certified medication technician programs, commercial driver's license programs, and other programs outlined in the act.

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year and for all subsequent years, the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development shall establish a procedure to reimburse the costs of tuition, books, and fees from the CTC Program Fund to the approved institution at which an eligible student is enrolled in an eligible program of study or a training program. Tuition reimbursements shall not exceed the tuition rate charged by a public community college for coursework offered by a two-year private vocational or technical school, virtual institution, or eligible training provider. A private vocational or technical school, institution, or training provider shall request authorization from DHEWD for tuition reimbursement before a student enrolls if there is a public community college or vocational or technical school in the same service region offering the same or a substantially similar eligible program of study or training program, as provided in the act.

Eligibility for reimbursements under the act shall expire upon the earliest of (a) the approved institution's receipt of the reimbursement for the required length of the eligible program of study or training program, (b) a student's successful completion of an eligible program of study or training program, or (c) a student's completion of 150% of the time usually required to complete an eligible program of study or training program.

The Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development shall establish by rule procedures for the reimbursement of tuition, books, and fees to all approved institutions, provided that no rule established shall prohibit a student from qualifying for tuition reimbursement solely because such student's program of study or training program does not meet the length-of-program requirements for federal financial aid or does not participate in federal student aid programs.

This provision is similar to HCS/HB 331 (2025), SB 1065 (2024), HB 76 (2023), and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024).

ACCESS MISSOURI FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

(Sections 173.1102, 173.1103, and 173.1105)

This act modifies provisions relating to the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program.

The act replaces the term "expected family contribution" with "student aid index", which defines the amount a student's family should contribute toward the cost of postsecondary education, as calculated by the United States Department of Education.

Starting with the 2025-26 academic year, the act increases the financial assistance award for eligible recipients of the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program. For students attending public two-year institutions, the maximum award increases by $400 (from $1300 to $1700), and the minimum award increases by $200 (from $300 to $500). For students attending public four-year institutions, the maximum award increases by $700 (from $2800 to $3500), and the minimum increases by $250 (from $1500 to $1750).

Additionally, the act authorizes the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to increase the number of recipients by extending the application deadline if appropriated funds exceed the amount necessary.

These provisions are identical to HB 265 (2025), substantially similar to SB 579 (2025), and similar to HB 2326 (2024) and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024).

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE EXAMINATIONS

(Section 173.1352)

This act requires public institutions of higher education to adopt a policy to award undergraduate course credit to student who receives a score of four or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam.

This provision is identical to a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 607 (2025) and substantially similar to SB 243 (2025), HB 1578 (2024), HB 2051 (2024), HB 2415 (2024), and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024).

HIGHER EDUCATION CORE CURRICULA

(Sections 178.786 and 178.787)

This act modifies provisions of the Higher Education Core Curriculum Transfer Act.

The act provides that the Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall, with the assistance of an advisory committee composed of representatives from each public community college and each public four-year institution of higher education, approve a 60 credit-hour, transferable, lower-division course curriculum and a common course numbering equivalency matrix for degree programs in the following subjects: general business, elementary education and teaching, general psychology, registered nursing, and general biology or biological science, or both. Each public community college and public four-year institution of higher education that offers the applicable degree programs shall include in such degree programs the common course numbering equivalency matrix approved by the Coordinating Board. The Coordinating Board shall complete its work with the advisory committee before June 30, 2027, and the transferable courses and common course numbering equivalency matrix shall be implemented at all public institutions of higher education for the 2028-29 academic year. No institution of higher education shall be required to adopt the transferable lower-division course curriculum for degree programs not offered at the institution.

If a student successfully completes the transferable lower-division courses at a community college or other public institution of higher education, those courses may be transferred to any other public institution of higher education in this state and shall be substituted for the receiving institution's core curriculum for the same degree program. A student shall receive academic credit toward his or her degree for each of the courses transferred and shall not be required to take additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution for the same degree program.

If a student transfers from one public institution of higher education to another public institution of higher education without completing all of the transferable lower-division courses of the sending institution, such student shall receive academic credit toward the same degree program from the receiving institution for each of the courses that the student has successfully completed. Following receipt of credit for these courses, the student may, if the student has not completed all of the transferable lower-division courses, be required to satisfy further course requirements in the core curriculum of the receiving institution.

The Coordinating Board shall report to the House Committee on Higher Education and the Senate Committee on Education regarding progress made toward fulfilling the requirements of the act before December 31, 2026.

These provisions are identical to HB 183 (2025) and provisions in HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025) and HCS/SS/SB 160 (2025), and are similar to SS/SB 69 (2025), SCS/SB 1075 (2024), HCS/HB 2310 (2024), and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024).

LICENSE WAIVERS FOR SPOUSES OF MISSOURI LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

(Section 324.009)

Current law requires an oversight body for professional licenses to waive any examination, educational, or experience requirements within 30 days for a resident military spouse or a nonresident military spouse and to issue such applicant a license if the applicant meets all other requirements. This act provides such waiver to resident and nonresident spouses of Missouri law enforcement officers, as such term is defined in the act. Additionally, this act repeals provisions relating to application to oversight bodies that have entered into licensing compacts.

This provision is identical to provisions in SS/SB 61 (2025), HCS/HB 268 (2025), HB 478 (2025), and HCS/HB 946 (2025), and is similar to SB 283 (2025).

OLIVIA SHANNON