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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1934
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE SMITH (74).
4926H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 173, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to standard forms
for higher education admission and financial aid letters.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 173.057, to read as follows:
173.057. 1. As used in this section, the term "public colleges and universities"
2 means any public community college, public college, or public university located in this
3 state.
4 2. Ther e is hereby established the "College Admission and Financial Aid Letter
5 Consistency T ask For ce" to develop standardized forms for public colleges and
6 universities to use for admission letters and student financial aid award letters.
7 3. All task for ce members shall be appointed before October 1, 2026. The task
8 for ce shall consist of fifteen members appointed as follows:
9 (1) Three par ents or legal guardians of students who attend a public university
10 or two-year college in this state, appointed by the joint committee on education;
11 (2) Thre e students who attend a public university or two-year college in this
12 state, appointed by the joint committee on education;
13 (3) An administrator fro m a public institution of higher education who is
14 involved in admissions, appointed by the commissioner of higher education;
15 (4) An administrator fro m a public institution of higher education who is
16 involved in financial aid, appointed by the commissioner of higher education;
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
17 (5) A rep res entative of a public community college who is involved in
18 admissions, appointed by a statewide organization of community colleges;
19 (6) A repr esentative of a public community college who is involved in finance,
20 appointed by a statewide organization of community colleges;
21 (7) A car eer and technical education pr ofessional who has experience serving as
22 an advisor to a statewide care er and technical education organization, appointed by a
23 statewide career and technical education organization;
24 (8) A secondary school counselor , appointed by a statewide association of school
25 counselors;
26 (9) A secondary school career and college counselor , appointed by a statewide
27 association of school counselors;
28 (10) An appr enticeship pro fessional, appointed by the department of higher
29 education and workfor ce development; and
30 (1 1) A repr esentative of the State T echnical College of Missouri, appointed by
31 the college's board of regents.
32 4. The members of the task for ce shall elect a chair fr om among the membership
33 of the task for ce. The task forc e shall meet as needed to perform its duties and complete
34 its findings and r ecommendations as described in this section. The department of
35 higher education and workfor ce development shall pro vide any legal, rese arch, clerical,
36 and technical services the task for ce requ ires in the performance of its duties. Members
37 of the task for ce shall serve without compensation but may , subject to appr opriation, be
38 r eimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurr ed in the performance of official
39 duties as members of the task for ce. No school district policy or administrative action
40 shall requ ire any education employee member to use personal leave or incur a redu ction
41 in pay for participating on the task for ce.
42 5. The task for ce shall develop a standard admission letter and a standard
43 financial aid award letter to be used by all public colleges and universities. The
44 standard financial aid award letter shall clearly list at least the following information:
45 (1) The estimated cost of attendance including, but not limited to, the cost of
46 tuition and fees, room and board, books, and transportation for the curr ent academic
47 year as well as estimates for each academic year that the student would need to attend to
48 earn a degr ee at such institution, with a disclaimer that the cost of attendance for years
49 other than the curr ent academic year are estimates and may be subject to change;
50 (2) All federal, state, and institutional financial aid offer ed, with an explanation
51 as to which components will req uire repa yment;
52 (3) Any expected student or family contribution;
53 (4) Campus-specific graduation, median borro wing, and loan default rates;
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54 (5) A glossary of terms and definitions used in the standard letter; and
55 (6) Any other necessary information as determined by the task for ce.
56 6. Befor e January 1, 2027, the task for ce shall submit a report to the speaker of
57 the house of r epresent atives, the presiden t pro tempor e of the senate, the joint
58 committee on education, and the coordinating board for higher education. The report
59 shall contain the task for ce's findings, samples of a recomm ended standard admission
60 letter and a standard financial aid award letter , and reco mmendations for legislation
61 pertaining to req uirements for a standard admission letter and a standard financial aid
62 award letter to be used by all public colleges and universities.
63 7. Upon submission of the task for ce's re port, the task for ce shall dissolve.
✔
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