higher education; 2026-2027

Establishes a new Arizona Veterinary Loan Assistance Fund to provide up to $200,000 in loan forgiveness to veterinarians who commit to working in shortage areas or nonprofits for four years.

Creates a performance funding model for universities that rewards institutions based on the number of degrees awarded, completed credit hours, and external research funding.

Allows the Arizona Board of Regents to retain up to $5 million per year from universities to supplement its own operating budget, subject to legislative review.

Reduces the required state match for financial aid trust funds from $2 for every dollar raised by student surcharges for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

Delegates the specific dollar amounts for community college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and workforce programs to the General Appropriations Act.

Updates the definition of 'veteran' for university admission policies to include those who served in the armed forces for at least two years.

Requires universities to publicly post all employment openings with titles, descriptions, and application instructions.

Mandates that universities acquire and display United States flags and copies of the Constitution and Bill of Rights in every classroom.

Requires the Board of Regents to submit an annual report on university debt and obligations to the legislature and governor's office.

Establishes a program for student exchange between Arizona universities and colleges in Sonora, Mexico, potentially offering in-state tuition to Mexican students.

Corrects grammatical errors and clarifies ambiguous language in the original text of Section 15-1626 regarding delegation of authority.