Iowa National Guard members would be able to seek tuition assistance for certificate and credentialing programs at higher education institutions in the state under new House legislation that advanced Tuesday.
The bill, House Study Bill 3, which unanimously passed Tuesday out of the House Education Committee, grants members an Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship for approved certification and credentialing programs at in-state community colleges, regent universities or accredited private institutions.
The scholarship’s recipients currently can only be enrolled in eligible Iowa university or college degree programs.
Rep. Heather Hora, R-Washington, a member of the House Education Committee, voted in support of the bill.
“Anything we can do to further the National Guard in education and helping the soldiers that sacrifice for the state, I think is something that we need to at least have a discussion on,” Hora said.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn outlined expanding the scholarship as a priority during the annual Condition of the Guard speech last week, calling on lawmakers to push forward the legislation.
“We are seeking flexibility for our evolving workforce as we work with the Iowa Department of Education to expand INGSS beyond undergraduate degree programs and include certificate and credentialing programs at accredited state institutions,” Osborn said.
As U.S. colleges and universities face enrollment declines and increasing tuition, more students have turned to postsecondary certificates as a shorter and more cost-effective educational path instead of a degree at a four-year institution.
The changes to the scholarship wouldn’t require new funding and would use its existing appropriation to pay for its program expansion, said Tina Shaw, Iowa National Guard legislative liaison. The state appropriated $6.6 million to fund the scholarship for fiscal 2025.
Scholarship recipients could have received a maximum of $8,798 or the tuition cost charged to the recipient for the 2023-24 academic year. The recipient’s awards can’t currently exceed the Iowa resident tuition costs at the state’s regent universities.
Another related bill, House Study Bill 4, puts into law that the amount of the scholarship also shouldn’t exceed the difference between the National Guard member’s tuition and the financial aid they receive under federal programs.
The bill advanced out of the House Education Committee 22-1, with Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, voting against it because it proposes to strike language that says scholarships shouldn’t be based on a member’s unit, where they attend drills and what position they hold.
“I think that it’s an important thing to do and to make sure that someone isn’t discriminated against because they serve in one town over another or because they serve in one unit over another,” she said.
Levin said the bill is important because it recognizes the variety of education paths students are currently seeking.
“We have more people who are going into fields that require continuing education, but that doesn’t always look like an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree,” Levin said. “And so being able to say we see that that’s a need, let’s authorize it so that those funds can be put to appropriate use.”
Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at sabine.martin@gannett.com or by phone at (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin.
