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Mar. 2 | Bill likely to be heard this week
H.B. 298 was introduced by representatives Shane Baker, Josh Calloway, John Hodgson, Savannah Maddox, and T.J. Roberts on January 9. It was referred to the House Postsecondary Education Committee on January 16.
We have learned that H.B. 298 could be scheduled to be heard in the House Postsecondary Education Committee as early as the week of March 1. Please contact the members of the House Postsecondary Education Committee and ask them to support H.B. 298. (This contact form includes H.B. 275, which is a related bill).
Summary of H.B. 298
Currently homeschool graduates (and all other nonpublic school graduates that attended a school that is not certified by the Kentucky Board of Education) are not eligible for the KEES base award amount because their GPA is not accepted by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). Homeschool graduates are currently only eligible for the KEES supplemental/bonus awards.
H.B. 298 would open up the base award amount to homeschool students who have received a GPA that was earned either from taking a dual credit course(s) or Advanced Placement (AP) exam(s).
HOW THE KEES AWARD WORKS:
The base award amount is assessed each year. Under the KEES program, a student is eligible for the base award multiplied by four (4), plus a KEES supplemental award if a student has a high enough GPA or ACT/SAT score.
The minimum supplemental award is $175 (x4) for a GPA of 2.70 or ACT score of 18. The maximum supplemental award is $500 (x4) for a GPA of 4.00 or ACT score of 28+. A full ACT conversion chart can be found in the bill.