House passes bill to extend OK Promise to students with intellectual disabilities

The House this week unanimously passed a bill that will open Oklahoma Promise scholarships to students with intellectual disabilities.

Senate Bill 322 creates the Oklahoma Higher Education Tuition Aid Act - Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Trust Fund to provide students with intellectual disabilities tuition grants for attending comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs. The measure details financial and academic eligibility and authorizes the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to administer the program.

Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, is the House author of the measure.

“I want every student to be able to achieve the highest level of education they desire,” McBride said. “I’m thrilled to give students with intellectual disabilities the same opportunity as their peers to apply for this funding. I’m also very proud of the bipartisan effort that strengthened this bill and earned it’s passage in the House.”

Rep. Ellyn Hefner, D-Oklahoma City, co-authored the bill and presented it on the House floor.

“Senate Bill 322 is an excellent example of not only bipartisan legislation but also cooperative work between the House and Senate,” Hefner said. “This bill marries two great pieces of legislation – House Bill 2718, the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Trust Fund and the Oklahoma Promise Opportunity Scholarship Act, and Senate Bill 322, the Oklahoma Higher Education Tuition Aid Act - Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Trust Fund. Senate Bill 322 levels the playing field for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing them the same opportunities as their peers to fund attendance at one of our three state universities that have a program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities or to fund attendance at one of our great Career Tech programs. I am appreciative to Rep. McBride and Senator Seifried for coming together to create this important legislation for Oklahoma students.”

Oklahoma’s Promise, originally designated as the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program, was created by the Legislature in 1992 to help students who meet certain income, academic and conduct requirements to earn a college or technology center tuition scholarship. The program is administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.