Ohio2026Passed Legislature

HB101

Law Student Encouragement Scholarship Pilot Program

Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 4:32 AM

In one sentence

This bill creates a scholarship program to help underrepresented Ohio undergraduate students prepare for law school by providing money, mentoring, and test prep support.

Sets aside $350,000 from the state budget in fiscal year 2027 to fund the pilot program.
Requires the Chancellor of Higher Education to give these funds to the Ohio State Bar Association.
Directs the Ohio State Bar Association to select between ten and twenty eligible students for scholarships.
Provides each selected student with a $4,000 scholarship per academic year.
Funds mentoring events, free test prep materials, LSAT registration fees, and other academic support for participants.

Undergraduate students in Ohio who are from groups underrepresented in the legal profession.
The Chancellor of Higher Education, who manages the funding distribution.
The Ohio State Bar Association, which runs the program and selects students.
State lawmakers on higher education committees, who receive a final report.

No money is set aside for fiscal year 2026; funding begins in fiscal year 2027.
The bill does not list the specific criteria used to decide which students are underrepresented or how they will be chosen beyond residency and enrollment status.
This program ends with a required report due by January 30, 2028.

Plain language

Pilot Program: A test version of a new project to see if it works before making it permanent.
Underrepresented Groups: People from backgrounds that have fewer members in the legal profession compared to their share of the population.
LSAT: The Law School Admission Test, an exam required for entry into most law schools.

Official record

Source attached

Establish Law Student Encouragement Scholarship Pilot Program

Official activity