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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio creates Foster-to-College Scholarship Program and appropriates $15 million
Last action · January 29, 2025: Referred to FinanceSponsor: Michele Reynolds
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio establishes the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, providing college scholarships to qualifying foster and kinship care students to cover remaining attendance costs after other financial aid is applied. The bill requires the Department of Education and Workforce to hire a school foster care liaison, funds four foster care student navigators, and transfers $15 million to establish the program's fund.
Eligible current and former foster youth attending Ohio higher education institutions receive funding covering their full remaining cost of attendance, while participating public and private colleges and universities adjust institutional aid and tuition waivers accordingly.
- The Ohio General Assembly operates in biennial sessions, passing operating and capital budgets that allocate funds across state agencies and scholarship initiatives. context
- The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood provides federal funding and educational vouchers to youth transitioning out of foster care. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Qualifying foster youth
Qualifying students receive scholarship funding covering their remaining cost of attendance at participating higher education institutions.
Institutions of higher education
Participating public and private colleges receive direct scholarship disbursements and private institutions must cover remaining cost gaps with institutional aid.
Department of Education and Workforce
The department is required to hire a full-time school foster care liaison to facilitate student support services and school stability.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program?
How is the scholarship amount calculated?
Can private colleges and universities opt out of the program?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 29, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Finance
- Jan 22, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Cash Transfer to Establish Fund 5AM1
Section 5 mandates an immediate $15,000,000 cash transfer from the General Revenue Fund to establish the Foster-to-College Scholarship Fund on July 1, 2025.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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