Education (Higher Education)

died · Oklahoma · House Feb 9, 2026

HB 2946: Postsecondary education; Sergeant Bobby Swartz Act; waiver of fees and costs for grandchildren of persons killed in line of duty; effective date; emergency.

HB 2946 creates a tuition and room/board fee waiver for grandchildren (and children) of Oklahoma public safety officers who died in the line of duty. The bill expands existing education benefits to cover descendants of peace officers, firefighters, law enforcement retirees, and emergency medical technicians who died on duty. This waiver applies to all public colleges and career technology schools in Oklahoma for a five-year period. The policy change directly affects eligible descendants of fallen public safety workers by removing financial barriers to postsecondary education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition/fee waiver for descendants of fallen public safety officers at public colleges, expanding educational access and financial support for higher education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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passed · Oklahoma · House Feb 23, 2026

HB 2197: Higher education; creating the Making College More Affordable Act; prohibitions; research universities; meal plans; effective date; emergency.

HB 2197 prohibits Oklahoma public universities from requiring students to purchase meal plans as a condition for enrollment or on-campus housing. This directly affects all students attending institutions in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, removing a mandatory cost tied to enrollment or housing. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and eliminates a specific financial requirement for students. It does not change other meal plan policies or costs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill prohibits mandatory meal plans at public universities, reducing student costs and increasing affordability/access to higher education, directly supporting educational access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 242: Higher education; creating the Veterans Entering Teaching (VET) Act to provide certain tuition and fee assistance. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 242 creates Oklahoma's Veterans Entering Teaching (VET) Program, providing tuition and mandatory fee assistance to veterans discharged honorably from the U.S. Armed Forces who enroll in approved teacher preparation programs at Oklahoma colleges or universities. To qualify, veterans must commit to teaching in an Oklahoma public school district for three consecutive years after earning their degree. The program covers tuition and fees for degree completion (up to $2 million annually) but requires veterans to exhaust federal education benefits first and prohibits overlapping with another teacher training program. Failure to meet the teaching commitment requires repayment calculated based on months missed, with hardship waivers available.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition assistance for veterans entering teaching, requiring 3-year public school commitment, directly funding teacher recruitment and retention.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProvides tuition/fee assistance to veterans entering teaching programs with 3-year public school commitment, directly funding veteran education and employment opportunities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Teachers Veteran Education Veteran Employment

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 685: Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act; prescribing procedure for enforcement of annual limit. Effective date.

SB 685 modifies Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit Program, creating an income-based tax credit for Oklahoma taxpayers who pay qualified education expenses for eligible students. The credit amount varies by household income (ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 annually) and applies to tuition/fees at accredited private schools or qualifying educational expenses like tutoring and materials. Taxpayers must submit receipts for qualified expenses and provide income documentation from the previous tax year to claim the credit. The bill also specifies special credit tiers for schools serving homeless students or financially disadvantaged students.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates income-based tax credit for education expenses, providing tax relief to eligible taxpayers under Parental Choice Program90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates income-based tax credits for private school tuition/materials, expanding educational access and choice through financial support for families.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Higher Education School Choice

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1742: Schools; Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act; website requirements; effective date.

HB 1742 creates a tax credit program allowing Oklahoma taxpayers to claim credits for qualified education expenses paid for eligible students. The credit amount varies by household income (ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 annually) and covers tuition at accredited private schools, tutoring, textbooks, and standardized test fees. Eligible students include those attending accredited private schools or receiving education through approved alternative methods. Parents must submit receipts to the Oklahoma Tax Commission to claim the credit, which can be refunded if it exceeds their tax liability. This bill directly affects Oklahoma parents/guardians paying for qualifying education costs for their children.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax credit program for education expenses, providing tax relief to qualifying households per income tiers, aligning with tax relief indicators for middle/lower income.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates tax credits for private school tuition, tutoring, and educational expenses, expanding parental choice and access to education funding through direct financial support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Higher Education School Choice Testing & Assessment

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 11, 2025

HB 2253: Teacher certification; Data Governance Council; effective date.

HB 2253 requires Oklahoma's State Department of Education to create a system for coding and reporting data on all teacher certification pathways, including emergency and full-time adjunct certification. It establishes the Data Governance Council, composed of 13 appointed members from education stakeholders (such as university programs, school administrators, and teachers), to monitor how certification pathways affect student outcomes, standardize data on teacher workforce quality, and set best practices for secure data management. The Council must begin meeting by February 2026, operate without member compensation, and comply with Oklahoma's open meeting and records laws. The bill takes effect on November 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes data system and council to monitor teacher certification pathways' impact on student outcomes, aiming to standardize workforce quality and improve educational effectiveness.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Teachers

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 247: Students; creating the Fund Students, Not Systems Act; providing for calculation of education savings account amount. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 247 creates the "Fund Students, Not Systems Education Savings Account Program" in Oklahoma, allowing eligible students (ages 5-18, including some with disabilities) to receive state education funds for qualified expenses. The State Department of Education calculates ESA amounts based on each student’s school district’s state aid factors, then transfers funds quarterly to cover approved costs like tuition, textbooks, therapy, and field trips. Families apply annually by April 1 to choose participating schools (public, private, charter, or homeschool), with funds restricted to specific educational services listed in the bill. The program aims to provide parental choice while requiring no new oversight for private schools or homeschools, though it does not change public school funding levels.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects existing state education funds to ESA program, funding essential education services through fiscal allocation rather than tax changes.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates state-funded education savings accounts for eligible students, redirecting funds to cover tuition, textbooks, and therapies, expanding educational access and choice.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice School Funding

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 11, 2025

HB 2256: Education; Apprentice Scholarship Program Revolving Fund; Oklahoma State Board of Career and Technology Education; grants; effective date.

HB 2256 creates a revolving fund in the Oklahoma State Treasury to support apprenticeship scholarships for high school graduates. The fund, financed by state appropriations and private donations, will provide grants covering tuition and fees for eligible students entering federally approved technical apprenticeship programs through Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committees. Applications for these grants will be reviewed competitively statewide by the Oklahoma State Board of Career and Technology Education. The program becomes effective November 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates state-funded revolving fund for apprenticeship scholarships, using state appropriations to allocate budget resources for education programs.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates revolving fund for apprenticeship scholarships, funding tuition/fees for technical programs, expanding access to career education pathways.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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signed · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 1287: Schools; authorizing the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma to create a math tutoring pilot program for certain students; effective date; emergency.

HB 1287 authorizes the University of Oklahoma's Board of Regents to create a high-dosage math tutoring pilot program for ninth-grade students who scored lowest on Oklahoma's eighth-grade math assessment. The program targets public high schools in districts with 30,000+ enrolled students and public charter schools. It requires the University of Oklahoma's College of Education to administer the tutoring, focusing on intensive, frequent support for struggling math students. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with an emergency clause allowing immediate implementation upon approval.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes high-dosage math tutoring pilot for struggling students, strengthening academic support in targeted schools per bill's explicit purpose.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Testing & Assessment

signed · Oklahoma · House May 27, 2025

HB 1096: Schools; modifying goals of certain programs; modifying eligibility for certain higher education programs; adding references to Classic Learning Test; effective date; emergency.

HB 1096 modifies Oklahoma school district requirements for teacher professional development. It updates goals to prioritize increasing academic performance scores, closing achievement gaps, and reducing college remediation rates. The bill adds mandatory annual training on dyslexia and dysgraphia for teachers, expands autism awareness training for early childhood educators, and requires data-driven planning for professional development programs. School districts must annually report on these programs to the State Department of Education, including progress toward specific student achievement goals. The bill does not reference the Classic Learning Test in its substantive provisions as described in the provided text.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates dyslexia/dysgraphia teacher training, expands autism awareness, and requires data-driven planning to improve academic performance and close achievement gaps.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Teachers