County Boards of Education - College Preparatory Programs - Fees

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0836*

HOUSE BILL 836
F1 6lr2952

By: Delegate Conaway
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

County Boards of Education – College Preparatory Programs – Fees 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a county board of education from charging a student or a 3
student’s parent or guardian any fees related to enrollment in or completion of a 4
certain college preparatory program; and generally relating to fees for college 5
preparatory programs. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Education 8
Section 7–205.1(g)(1) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 7–205.1(g)(4) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY adding to 17
Article – Education 18
Section 7–213 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23

Article – Education 24

7–205.1. 25
2 HOUSE BILL 836

(g) (1) Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection [, beginning in the 1
2023–2024 school year] AND § 7–213 OF THIS SUBTITLE, each county board shall provide 2
all students who meet the CCR standard required under subsection (c) of this section with 3
access to the following post college and career readiness (po st–CCR) pathways, at no cost 4
to the student or the student’s parents, including the cost of any fees: 5

(i) A competitive entry college preparatory program, chosen by the 6
county board, consisting of: 7

1. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program; 8

2. The Cambridge AICE Diploma Program; or 9

3. A comparable program consisting of Advanced Placement 10
courses specified by the College Board; 11

(ii) A program that allows a student, through an early college 12
program or dual enrollment at a student’s high school and an institution of higher 13
education to earn: 14

1. An associate degree; or 15

2. At least 60 credits toward a bachelor’s degree; and 16

(iii) A robust set of career and technology education programs that 17
are recommended by the CTE Skills Standards Advisory Committee and approved by the 18
CTE Committee and that allow students to complete: 19

1. A credit or noncredit certificate or license program, course, 20
or sequence of courses, including a program, course, or courses taken thro ugh dual 21
enrollment under § 15 –127 of this article, at a secondary or postsecondary institution, 22
through an Advanced Placement course at a secondary institution, or through an 23
apprenticeship sponsor that leads to an industry recognized occupational –credential or 24
postsecondary certificate; 25

2. A registered apprenticeship program approved by the 26
Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning within the Maryland Department 27
of Labor; or 28

3. A youth apprenticeship program, under Title 18, Subtitle 29
18 of this article. 30

(4) To phase in expansion of dual enrollment to maximize the number of 31
students who can earn the maximum number of dual enrollment credits consistent with 32
the phased increases in school funding, for fiscal years 2025 through 2027, the State Board 33
and the Accountability and Implementation Board, in consultation with each local school 34
HOUSE BILL 836 3

system, may limit the number and types of courses that a student dually enrolled at the 1
student’s public high school and at an institution of higher education may enroll in during 2
the school year at the institution of higher education as part of the post –CCR pathway in 3
accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection and § 15–127 of this article. 4

7–213. 5

A COUNTY BOARD MAY NOT CHARGE A STUDENT OR A STUDENT’S PARENT OR 6
GUARDIAN ANY FEES RELATED TO THE ENROLLMENT IN OR COMPLETION OF A 7
COMPETITIVE ENTRY CO LLEGE PREPARATORY PR OGRAM CONSISTING OF 8
ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES SPECIFIED BY THE COLLEGE BOARD. 9

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10
1, 2026. 11