HB 2929 establishes how districts without high schools (through 12th grade) pay tuition to districts that provide high school education. It requires sending districts to pay the receiving district's actual per-pupil cost of maintaining high school programs - calculated by dividing the district's costs (teachers' wages, maintenance, debt service, etc.) by average daily attendance - without exceeding those specific expenses. The tuition rate must be finalized and provided to the sending district by March 1st each year for the following school year, with disputes resolved by the state board of education. This directly affects students in districts without high schools and the districts that serve them.
SB 1610 creates a dedicated Liaison position within the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. This role will directly assist homeless students pursuing postsecondary education by coordinating support services and navigating college resources. The bill establishes this position as a concrete mechanism to improve access and stability for homeless pupils in higher education. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 2 sentences as requested.)
HB 2722 establishes a dedicated liaison position within Missouri's Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to support homeless students pursuing postsecondary education. The bill creates a dedicated fund to finance this role and requires the liaison to develop databases tracking homeless students' graduation and retention rates, connect students to campus resources like housing and food banks, and collaborate with high schools and colleges. It directly affects homeless students in Missouri colleges by creating a centralized point of contact to address barriers like housing instability and access to support services. The liaison must be nonpartisan, independent of other homeless service providers, and focus exclusively on this role to improve educational outcomes for this population.
HB 3139 requires Missouri schools to establish standardized computer science courses covering topics like AI, cybersecurity, and algorithms for all grades. It allows these courses to count toward math or science graduation credits while mandating schools to inform students and parents about potential college admission impacts. The bill creates a dedicated fund for teacher training in computer science and requires all high schools to offer at least one CS course by 2023. Schools must also report student demographics in these courses to track participation across gender, race, and special education status.
HB 3140 creates a mileage reimbursement component for Missouri's existing dual enrollment scholarship program. It provides eligible high school students with reimbursement for transportation costs (37 cents per mile) when attending dual enrollment courses at locations other than their high school, if the school doesn't offer transportation. To qualify, students must meet standard eligibility requirements including Missouri residency, a 2.5 GPA, and one indicator of economic need (like SNAP or free lunch eligibility). Reimbursements are calculated based on round-trip mileage, require record-keeping, and are paid quarterly. The program is funded through the newly established "Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment Scholarship Fund."
SB 971 updates Missouri's charter school enrollment rules for nonresident students. It allows charter schools to admit nonresident students under specific conditions, such as those transferring from unaccredited districts, participating in urban transfer programs, or residing in residential care facilities. The bill requires charter schools to use non-discriminatory admissions processes (prohibiting bias based on race, income, or disability), while permitting limited preferences for siblings, workplace connections, high-risk students, or those eligible for free lunch. These changes apply directly to Missouri charter schools and students seeking enrollment outside their home school district.
HB 1934 establishes a 15-member "College Admission and Financial Aid Letter Consistency Task Force" to create standardized forms for public colleges and universities in Missouri. The task force, appointed by specified groups including students, parents, college administrators, and counselors, must develop standard admission and financial aid letters by January 1, 2027. The standardized financial aid letter must clearly list estimated costs (tuition, fees, books, etc.), all aid types with repayment explanations, graduation rates, and a glossary of terms. This bill directly affects public Missouri colleges/universities, requiring them to adopt these standardized letters for student communications.
SB 1341 would authorize a tax credit for eligible taxpayers who pay certain educational expenses, such as tuition or qualified training costs. The bill would allow these taxpayers to reduce their state income tax liability by a specified amount based on their qualifying expenses. However, the official abstract does not specify which educational expenses qualify, the credit amount, or the exact eligibility criteria for taxpayers. As a prefiled bill (first read on 2026-01-07), it remains under consideration and has not yet become law.
SB 1048 - This act creates the "Missouri Disabled Veterans' Dependents Tuition Waiver" to provide college tuition waivers for the children, stepchildren, and spouses of certain veterans. The act defines an "institution" as including any state college or university or public community college that receives appropriations from the General Assembly for operating expenses and satisfies certain other conditions established in current law. A dependent of a veteran shall be eligible to receive a waiver of tuition and fees at an institution, up to a maximum that shall not exceed the amount of tuition charged a Missouri resident at the University of Missouri-Columbia for attendance, if the dependent has a parent, stepparent, or spouse who is or was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who died on active duty, died of a service-connected disability, died after discharge from the military as a result of injury or illness, is rated as permanently and totally disabled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or is classified as missing in action or a prisoner of war. For a dependent who is the child or stepchild of such a veteran, the act specifies that the dependent shall be under 26 years old unless the dependent serves on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States, in which case the eligibility period shall be extended a maximum of five years, up to the dependent's 31st birthday. The Missouri Veterans Commission shall work with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to implement the provisions of the act. The Missouri Veterans Commission shall ensure that the application process is accessible, transparent, and efficiently administered. The Executive Director of the Missouri Veterans Commission shall establish application procedures, determine applicants' eligibility, certify approved applicants, establish procedures for fraud prevention, and oversee program compliance and reporting, as provided in the act. The Executive Director shall work with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to facilitate communication with institutions, ensure proper implementation of the waivers, and maintain program efficiency. The Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall ensure consistent implementation of the act across all institutions, develop guidelines for institutions to process tuition waivers, and coordinate with the Missouri Veterans Commission to ensure seamless communication and prevent administrative delays for eligible applicants. A tuition waiver shall be valid for one degree, diploma, or certificate from a community college and one baccalaureate degree from a state college or university. Receipt of a degree, diploma, or certificate from a community college shall precede receipt of a baccalaureate degree. A recipient of a tuition waiver shall be ineligible for the Wartime Veteran's Survivors Grant Program, the Survivors of Vietnam Veterans Scholarship Program, and any other state-funded veteran-dependent tuition grant, waiver, or scholarship. A student who has previously received any such grant, waiver, or scholarship shall not be eligible to receive a tuition waiver, and a student shall not concurrently receive a tuition waiver and any other such grant, waiver, or scholarship. A recipient of a tuition waiver may transfer from one institution to another without losing entitlement to the tuition waiver. If a recipient is granted financial assistance under any other student aid program, whether public or private, the full amount of such financial assistance shall be reported to the Missouri Veterans Commission and the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. This act is identical to HB 2074 (2026) substantially similar to SB 716 (2025). OLIVIA SHANNON
HB 2443 revises Missouri's laws governing degrees at public colleges and universities. It designates the University of Missouri as the sole state institution permitted to offer research doctorates (like PhDs) and certain professional degrees (such as law, medicine, or veterinary medicine), with limited exceptions. The bill creates a new Coordinating Board for Higher Education to review and approve all new degree programs, requiring institutions to prove they’ve explored collaboration with other schools, meet quality standards, address workforce needs, and align with state education plans. This replaces prior oversight structures and centralizes authority over degree offerings for public institutions.
