Education

HB 87 (Educational Choice for Children Act) allows North Carolina to participate in a federal tax credit program that encourages donations to private scholarship organizations. The bill requires the State Education Assistance Authority to maintain and publish an annual list of qualifying scholarship groups operating in North Carolina, enabling donors to claim federal tax credits for contributions. These scholarships can cover elementary and secondary school costs, including homeschooling expenses, as permitted under federal law. The law becomes effective after 2026, with the Authority needing to establish necessary rules by July 2026 to comply with federal requirements.

HB 918, the "Standardized Testing Choice Act," establishes new requirements for standardized testing in North Carolina, beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. It mandates that the University of North Carolina system accept scores from the SAT, ACT, or Classic Learning Test (CLT) interchangeably for admissions and state-funded scholarships, including concordant minimum scores. The bill also requires local school administrative units to offer eighth through tenth-grade students the opportunity to take the CLT10, in addition to the PSAT/NMSQT or PreACT, at no cost. These provisions directly affect students applying to UNC institutions and those in North Carolina high schools.

HB 414 aims to give equal credit for community college courses towards high school graduation requirements for dually enrolled students, including those in the Career and College Promise program. It directs the State Boards of Community Colleges and Education to collaborate on developing a system where one community college course grants one full high school credit in core subjects, without requiring corresponding high school end-of-course tests. Until this system is fully established, specific community college courses will temporarily satisfy certain high school credits starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Additionally, the bill modifies high school math graduation requirements, affecting which math courses require an end-of-course test.