Honorable Terry M. Wilson, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB5333 by Bonnen (Relating to the establishment of the STEM Excellence Graduate Fellowship Program.), As Introduced
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the unavailability of data related to the the number of institutions that would participate in the program, the number of eligible students that would receive scholarships, and funding available for the scholarships.
The bill would create the STEM Excellence Graduate Fellowship Program at the Higher Education Coordinating Board (Board) to award funding to institutions of higher education to be used as fellowships for eligible students. The Board would administer the program as a competitive grant award program. The Board, in consultation with general academic institutions, would be required to draft rules regarding eligibility criteria for the program and the amount and permissible uses of a scholarship awarded under the program.
It is assumed that any costs associated with administering the program could be absorbed using existing resources. The fiscal impact cannot be determined but would be dependent on the number of institutions that would participate in the program, the number of eligible students that would receive a scholarship, and funding available for the scholarships.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.