Higher education, College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Act established, bonus funding for eligible institutions authorized based on achievement of performance goals and objectives

This bill creates the College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Act, which establishes a new funding mechanism for Alabama's public higher education institutions. The legislation creates a dedicated CHEER Fund that will provide bonus funding to colleges and universities that meet specific performance goals related to student outcomes such as retention, completion rates, and post-graduation employment in high-demand or high-wage fields. The bill defines eligible institutions to include all Alabama public universities and community colleges, and establishes an Outcomes-Based Higher Education Funding Coordinating Committee to set performance metrics and oversee fund distribution. Funding will be distributed by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education based on how well institutions perform against established benchmarks, with special provisions for premier research universities that demonstrate growth in external research revenue.