Regards the Ohio National Guard Scholarship Program

As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 660

2025-2026

Representative Russo

Cosponsors: Representatives
Piccolantonio, Brennan, Sigrist, McNally, Upchurch

To
amend section 5919.34 of the Revised Code
regarding
the Ohio National Guard Scholarship Program.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
section 5919.34 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec.
5919.34.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"Academic term" means any one of the following:

(a)
Fall term, which consists of fall semester or fall quarter, as
appropriate;

(b)
Winter term, which consists of winter semester, winter quarter, or
spring semester, as appropriate;

(c)
Spring term, which consists of spring quarter;

(d)
Summer term, which consists of summer semester or summer quarter, as
appropriate.

(2)
"Eligible applicant" means any individual to whom all of
the following apply:

(a)
The individual does not possess a baccalaureate degree.

(b)
The individual has enlisted, re-enlisted, or extended current
enlistment in the Ohio national guard or is an individual to which
division (F) of this section applies.

(c)
The individual is actively enrolled as a full-time or part-time
student for at least three credit hours of course work in a semester
or quarter in a two-year or four-year degree-granting program at a
state institution of higher education or a private institution of
higher education, in a diploma-granting program at a state or private
institution of higher education that is a school of nursing, or in a
credential-certifying program, licensing program, trade certification
program, or apprenticeship program for an in-demand occupation as
identified by the adjutant general and the chancellor of higher
education, in consultation with the governor's office of workforce
transformation.

(d)
The individual has not accumulated ninety-six eligibility units under
division (E) of this section.

(3)
"State institution of higher education" means any state
university or college as defined in division (A)(1) of section
3345.12 of the Revised Code, community college established under
Chapter 3354. of the Revised Code, state community college
established under Chapter 3358. of the Revised Code, university
branch established under Chapter 3355. of the Revised Code, or
technical college established under Chapter 3357. of the Revised
Code.

(4)
"Private institution of higher education" means an Ohio
institution of higher education that is nonprofit and has received a
certificate of authorization pursuant to Chapter 1713. of the Revised
Code, that is a private institution exempt from regulation under
Chapter 3332. of the Revised Code as prescribed in section 3333.046
of the Revised Code, or that holds a certificate of registration and
program authorization issued by the state board of career colleges
and schools pursuant to section 3332.05 of the Revised Code.

(5)
"Tuition" means the charges imposed to attend an
institution of higher education and includes general and
instructional fees. "Tuition" does not include laboratory
fees, room and board, or other similar fees and charges.

(B)
There is hereby created a scholarship program to be known as the Ohio
national guard scholarship program.

(C)(1)
The adjutant general shall approve scholarships for all eligible
applicants. The adjutant general shall process all applications for
scholarships for each academic term in the order in which they are
received. The scholarships shall be made without regard to financial
need. At no time shall one person be placed in priority over another
because of sex, race, or religion.

(2)
The adjutant general shall develop and provide a written explanation
that informs all eligible scholarship recipients that the recipient
may become ineligible and liable for repayment for an amount of
scholarship payments received in accordance with division (G) of this
section. The written explanation shall be reviewed by the scholarship
recipient before acceptance of the scholarship and before acceptance
of an enlistment, warrant, commission, or appointment for a term not
less than the recipient's remaining term in the national guard or in
the active duty component of the United States armed forces.

(D)(1)
Except as provided in divisions (I) and (J) of this section, for each
academic term that an eligible applicant is approved for a
scholarship under this section and either remains a current member in
good standing of the Ohio national guard or is eligible for a
scholarship under division (F)(1) of this section, the institution of
higher education in which the applicant is enrolled shall, if the
applicant's enlistment obligation extends beyond the end of that
academic term or if division (F)(1) of this section applies, be paid
on the applicant's behalf the applicable one of the following
amounts:

(a)
If the institution is a state institution of higher education, an
amount equal to one hundred per cent of the institution's tuition
charges;

(b)
If the institution is a nonprofit private institution or a private
institution exempt from regulation under Chapter 3332. of the Revised
Code as prescribed in section 3333.046 of the Revised Code, an amount
equal to one hundred per cent of the average tuition charges of all
state universities;

(c)
If the institution is an institution that holds a certificate of
registration from the state board of career colleges and schools, the
lesser of the following:

(i)
An amount equal to one hundred per cent of the institution's tuition;

(ii)
An amount equal to one hundred per cent of the average tuition
charges of all state universities, as that term is defined in section
3345.011 of the Revised Code.

(2)
The adjutant general and the chancellor may jointly adopt rules to
require the use of other federal educational financial assistance
programs, including such programs offered by the United States
department of defense, for which an applicant is eligible based on
the applicant's military service. If such rules are adopted, the
rules shall require that financial assistance received by a
scholarship recipient under those programs be applied to all eligible
expenses prior to the use of scholarship funds awarded under this
section. Scholarship funds awarded under this section shall then be
applied to the recipient's remaining eligible expenses.

(3)
An eligible applicant's scholarship shall not be reduced by the
amount of that applicant's benefits under "the Montgomery G.I.
Bill Act of 1984," Pub. L. No. 98-525, 98 Stat. 2553 (1984).

(E)
A scholarship recipient under this section shall be entitled to
receive scholarships under this section for the number of quarters or
semesters it takes the recipient to accumulate ninety-six eligibility
units as determined under divisions (E)(1) to (3) of this section.

(1)
To determine the maximum number of semesters or quarters for which a
recipient is entitled to a scholarship under this section, the
adjutant general shall convert a recipient's credit hours of
enrollment for each academic term into eligibility units in
accordance with the following table:

1

2

3

4

5

A

Number
of credit hours of enrollment in an academic term

equals

The
following number of eligibility units if a semester

or

The
following number of eligibility units if a quarter

B

12
or more hours

12
units

8
units

C

9
but less than 12

9
units

6
units

D

6
but less than 9

6
units

4
units

E

3
but less than 6

3
units

2
units

(2)
A scholarship recipient under this section may continue to apply for
scholarships under this section until the recipient has accumulated
ninety-six eligibility units.

(3)
If a scholarship recipient withdraws from courses prior to the end of
an academic term so that the recipient's enrollment for that academic
term is less than three credit hours, no scholarship shall be paid on
behalf of that person for that academic term. Except as provided in
division (F)(3) of this section, if a scholarship has already been
paid on behalf of the person for that academic term, the adjutant
general shall add to that person's accumulated eligibility units the
number of eligibility units for which the scholarship was paid.

(F)
This division applies to any eligible applicant called into active
duty on or after September 11, 2001. As used in this division,
"active duty" means active duty pursuant to an executive
order of the president of the United States, an act of the congress
of the United States, or section 5919.29 or 5923.21 of the Revised
Code.

(1)
For a period of up to five years from when an individual's enlistment
obligation in the Ohio national guard ends, an individual to whom
this division applies is eligible for scholarships under this section
for those academic terms that were missed or could have been missed
as a result of the individual's call into active duty. Scholarships
shall not be paid for the academic term in which an eligible
applicant's enlistment obligation ends unless an applicant is
eligible under this division for a scholarship for such academic term
due to previous active duty.

(2)
When an individual to whom this division applies withdraws or
otherwise fails to complete courses, for which scholarships have been
awarded under this section, because the individual was called into
active duty, the institution of higher education shall grant the
individual a leave of absence from the individual's education program
and shall not impose any academic penalty for such withdrawal or
failure to complete courses. Division (F)(2) of this section applies
regardless of whether or not the scholarship amount was paid to the
institution of higher education.

(3)
If an individual to whom this division applies withdraws or otherwise
fails to complete courses because the individual was called into
active duty, and if scholarships for those courses have already been
paid, either:

(a)
The adjutant general shall not add to that person's accumulated
eligibility units calculated under division (E) of this section the
number of eligibility units for the academic courses or term for
which the scholarship was paid and the institution of higher
education shall repay the scholarship amount to the state.

(b)
The adjutant general shall add to that individual's accumulated
eligibility units calculated under division (E) of this section the
number of eligibility units for the academic courses or term for
which the scholarship was paid if the institution of higher education
agrees to permit the individual to complete the remainder of the
academic courses in which the individual was enrolled at the time the
individual was called into active duty.

(4)
No individual who is discharged from the Ohio national guard under
other than honorable conditions shall be eligible for scholarships
under this division.

(G)
A scholarship recipient under this section who fails to complete the
term of enlistment, re-enlistment, or extension of current enlistment
the recipient was serving at the time a scholarship was paid on
behalf of the recipient under this section is liable to the state for
repayment of a percentage of all Ohio national guard scholarships
paid on behalf of the recipient under this section. Such a
scholarship recipient is also liable for interest at the rate of ten
per cent per annum calculated from the dates the scholarships were
paid, unless the reason the recipient failed to complete the term of
enlistment, re-enlistment, or extension of enlistment was due to
enlistment, warrant, commission, or appointment to an active duty or
reserve component of the armed forces of the United States. As used
in this division, "armed forces" has the same meaning as in
section 5903.01 of the Revised Code. This repayment percentage shall
equal the percentage of the current term of enlistment,
re-enlistment, or extension of enlistment a recipient has not
completed as of the date the recipient is discharged from the Ohio
national guard.

A
scholarship recipient who is liable under this division due to
enlistment, warrant, commission, or appointment to an active duty or
reserve component of the armed forces of the United States may defer
repayment to the state for the amount owed under this division until
either the completion of the recipient's service in the armed forces
or ten years after that enlistment, warrant, commission, or
appointment, whichever is earlier. If, after completing the terms of
enlistment, warrant, commission, or appointment to the armed forces
of the United States and less than ten years has passed since that
enlistment, warrant, commission, or appointment, the recipient
returns to the Ohio national guard and serves for the remainder of
the duration of the enlistment required under the terms of the
scholarship, the recipient is not liable for repayment.

The
attorney general may commence a civil action on behalf of the
chancellor to recover the amount of the scholarships and the interest
provided for in this division and the expenses incurred in
prosecuting the action, including court costs and reasonable
attorney's fees. A scholarship recipient is not liable under this
division if the recipient's failure to complete the term of
enlistment being served at the time a scholarship was paid on behalf
of the recipient under this section is due to the recipient's death
or discharge from the national guard due to disability.

(H)
On or before the first day of each academic term, the adjutant
general shall provide an eligibility roster to the chancellor and to
each institution of higher education at which one or more scholarship
recipients have applied for enrollment. The institution shall use the
roster to certify the actual full-time or part-time enrollment of
each scholarship recipient listed as enrolled at the institution and
return the roster to the adjutant general and the chancellor. Except
as provided in division (J) of this section, the chancellor shall
provide for payment of the appropriate number and amount of
scholarships to each institution of higher education pursuant to
division (D) of this section. If an institution of higher education
fails to certify the actual enrollment of a scholarship recipient
listed as enrolled at the institution within thirty days of the end
of an academic term, the institution shall not be eligible to receive
payment from the Ohio national guard scholarship program or from the
individual enrollee. The adjutant general shall report on a
semiannual basis to the director of budget and management, the
speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate,
and the chancellor the number of Ohio national guard scholarship
recipients, the size of the scholarship-eligible population, and a
projection of the cost of the program for the remainder of the
biennium.

(I)
The chancellor and the adjutant general may adopt rules pursuant to
Chapter 119. of the Revised Code governing the administration and
fiscal management of the Ohio national guard scholarship program and
the procedure by which the chancellor and the department of the
adjutant general may modify the amount of scholarships a member
receives based on the amount of other state financial aid a member
receives.

(J)
The adjutant general, the chancellor, and the director, or their
designees, shall jointly estimate the costs of the Ohio national
guard scholarship program for each upcoming fiscal biennium, and
shall report that estimate prior to the beginning of the fiscal
biennium to the chairpersons of the finance committees in the general
assembly. During each fiscal year of the biennium, the adjutant
general, the chancellor, and the director, or their designees, shall
meet regularly to monitor the actual costs of the Ohio national guard
scholarship program and update cost projections for the remainder of
the biennium as necessary. If the amounts appropriated for the Ohio
national guard scholarship program and any funds in the Ohio national
guard scholarship reserve fund and the Ohio national guard
scholarship donation fund are not adequate to provide scholarships in
the amounts specified in division (D)(1) of this section for all
eligible applicants, the chancellor shall do all of the following:

(1)
Notify each private institution of higher education, where a
scholarship recipient is enrolled, that, by accepting the Ohio
national guard scholarship program as payment for all or part of the
institution's tuition, the institution agrees that if the chancellor
reduces the amount of each scholarship, the institution shall provide
each scholarship recipient a grant or tuition waiver in an amount
equal to the amount the recipient's scholarship was reduced by the
chancellor.

(2)
Reduce the amount of each scholarship under division (D)(1)(a) of
this section proportionally based on the amount of remaining
available funds. Each state institution of higher education shall
provide each scholarship recipient under division (D)(1)(a) of this
section a grant or tuition waiver in an amount equal to the amount
the recipient's scholarship was reduced by the chancellor.

(K)
Notwithstanding division (A) of section 127.14 of the Revised Code,
the controlling board shall not transfer all or part of any
appropriation for the Ohio national guard scholarship program.

(L)
The chancellor and the adjutant general may apply for, and may
receive and accept grants, and may receive and accept gifts,
bequests, and contributions, from public and private sources,
including agencies and instrumentalities of the United States and
this state, and shall deposit the grants, gifts, bequests, or
contributions into the national guard scholarship donation fund.

Section
2.
That
existing section 5919.34 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.