Relating to: a tuition program for higher education students seeking careers in teaching, firefighting, or law enforcement, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill establishes a tuition loan program for Wisconsin residents enrolled in higher education who commit to working full-time in teaching, firefighting, or law enforcement for at least 10 years after completing their training. The program provides loans covering total tuition costs for up to four years of undergraduate study at University of Wisconsin System institutions or two years at technical colleges, with funds allocated equally among the three career fields. Eligible students must maintain satisfactory academic progress, apply annually, and repay loans at a 5 percent annual interest rate, though repayment is deferred while they work in their chosen profession and 50 to 100 percent of the loan is forgiven if they remain in the state and profession for seven or ten years respectively. The bill also grants the Higher Educational Aids Board authority to create rules for administering the program and includes a $1.5 million appropriation for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years.