Senate Bill 1673 changes the Oklahoma Promise college scholarship program to consider how many children a family has, as well as, income. Senator Adam Pugh wrote the legislation which was signed into law last week.
“Obviously, the more children you have, the more expensive it is to raise them, but until now, that’s never been a factor in determining income qualifications for Oklahoma’s Promise,” said Pugh. “This is a common sense change that will increase access to the program and help even more Oklahoma students achieve their goal of obtaining a college education. Having a well-educated workforce is key to our efforts to diversify our economy and boost per-capita income in our state. This will ultimately benefit all of Oklahoma.”
The new income caps are $60,000 for a family with two or fewer dependent children, $70,000 for families with three to four children, and $80,000 for those with five or more children.
Representative Jadine Nollan carried the Senate Bill 1673 in the House.
“This change in law will be really helpful for parents who have multiple children going to college,” Nollan said. “As someone who had three children in college at the same time, I know the burdens that exist. This will help more students attend Oklahoma colleges and universities, which in turn translates into more skilled and trained workers who can attain higher-paying jobs, resulting in a better economy and overall improvement for our state.”
The new limits take effect for the 2022-2023 school year.
