Maryland2026Active
HB0029
Changes to High School College and Career Pathways
Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 4:24 AM
In one sentence
This law allows school districts to set income rules for charging fees for some college prep programs, guarantees free access for low-income students in those specific programs, extends the timeline for limiting dual enrollment caps until 2030, updates how career education committees work, and requires state agencies to use a list of occupations.
What it does
- Allows county boards of education to create income guidelines for charging fees for competitive entry college preparatory programs like International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement.
- Requires that students with family incomes below specific poverty levels receive these college prep pathways at no cost.
- Extends the time period until 2030 during which state boards may limit the number and types of dual enrollment courses offered as a career pathway.
- Changes the purpose, members, and duties of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Committee.
- Removes the CTE Skills Standards Advisory Committee from existing law.
Who it affects
- County boards of education
- Public high school students who meet college and career readiness standards
- The State Board of Education and Accountability and Implementation Board
Limits and unknowns
- The bill text provided is truncated, so full details on which specific occupations must be listed by state agencies are not visible.
- Income thresholds for free access differ between program types (400% of federal poverty level in one section and 300% in another), creating uncertainty about the final rule.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Post-CCR pathway
- A program for students who have already met college and career readiness standards, such as dual enrollment or advanced placement courses.
- Dual enrollment
- Courses where high school students earn credit from both their high school and a college at the same time.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
Authorizing a county board of education to develop and establish income eligibility guidelines and procedures for payment of costs for a post college and career readiness (post-CCR) pathway, except under certain circumstances; extending the time period to 2030 during which the State Board and the Accountability and Implementation Board may limit the number and types of dual enrollment as a post college and career readiness pathway; etc.
Official activity
Bill history
- In the Senate - First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment