The Iowa House Education Committee advanced legislation to expand and form new scholarship programs for Iowa National Guard members. In this photo, Motor transport operators with the Iowa Army National Guard deliver medical supplies including personal protective equipment in March 2020 as part of a mission related to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo by Sgt. Tawny Schmit/Iowa National Guard)
Lawmakers discussed several bills aimed at higher education financial aid for members of the military Tuesday as the Iowa Legislature began its second week with subcommittee and committee meetings.
Members of the Iowa House of Representatives met in subcommittee and the House Education Committee to go over two bills relating to the National Guard, one making changes to the Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship program and the other creating a new scholarship program for certificates and other credentials.
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House Study Bill 4 would add a second limit to how much an award can be through the service scholarship program, with the current law stating scholarships cannot exceed the in-state tuition rate of Iowa’s public universities. If passed, students wouldn’t be able to receive scholarship funds exceeding “the difference between the tuition rate at the institution attended by the national guard member less any financial aid the national guard member receives under certain 14 specified federal programs,” according to the legislation.
The bill would also strike language barring a National Guard member’s unit, where they attend drills or whether they are enlisted in the Iowa Army or Air National Guard, from being considered when determining whether an award will be given or how much.
Subcommittee member Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, said during the subcommittee and House Education Committee meetings she would prefer the language be left in the bill, and was the only no vote in the full committee to send it to the floor.
“I have an amendment drafted that I would love to discuss after today’s committee meeting, but I think that this bill should move forward, and I just hope that we can perhaps get it right before we pass it on the floor,” Levin said.
Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn urged lawmakers to expand the service scholarship program in his Condition of the Guard address Jan. 16, a request he previously made in 2024.
House Study Bill 3, which also passed out of subcommittee and committee, would establish a National Guard Service Professional Qualification Scholarship program to provide funds to National Guard members pursuing higher education programs that are not associate or bachelor’s degrees. This would include certificates and other credential programs approved by the adjutant general, according to the legislation.
Funds not utilized by the National Guard Service Scholarship program would be used for the new scholarships, according to the bill.
“This is a great bill,” Levin said in the education committee meeting. “I think it recognizes the reality of education these days, and I’m excited to offer this opportunity to our Guards members.”
A House Veterans Affairs subcommittee also reviewed legislation touching on higher education for military members. House Study Bill 6 would expand the population of military members, veterans and family members who qualify for in-state tuition for undergraduate study at public universities and community colleges.
The bill would expand the definition of “qualified military person” in Iowa law to include veterans of armed conflict and those honorably discharged, and would qualify veterans’ spouses and children for resident tuition and fees.
The Iowa House Veterans Affairs Committee is set to bring up the legislation Wednesday, according to its schedule.
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by Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch
January 21, 2025
by Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch
January 21, 2025
Lawmakers discussed several bills aimed at higher education financial aid for members of the military Tuesday as the Iowa Legislature began its second week with subcommittee and committee meetings.
Members of the Iowa House of Representatives met in subcommittee and the House Education Committee to go over two bills relating to the National Guard, one making changes to the Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship program and the other creating a new scholarship program for certificates and other credentials.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
House Study Bill 4 would add a second limit to how much an award can be through the service scholarship program, with the current law stating scholarships cannot exceed the in-state tuition rate of Iowa’s public universities. If passed, students wouldn’t be able to receive scholarship funds exceeding “the difference between the tuition rate at the institution attended by the national guard member less any financial aid the national guard member receives under certain 14 specified federal programs,” according to the legislation.
The bill would also strike language barring a National Guard member’s unit, where they attend drills or whether they are enlisted in the Iowa Army or Air National Guard, from being considered when determining whether an award will be given or how much.
Subcommittee member Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, said during the subcommittee and House Education Committee meetings she would prefer the language be left in the bill, and was the only no vote in the full committee to send it to the floor.
“I have an amendment drafted that I would love to discuss after today’s committee meeting, but I think that this bill should move forward, and I just hope that we can perhaps get it right before we pass it on the floor,” Levin said.
Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn urged lawmakers to expand the service scholarship program in his Condition of the Guard address Jan. 16, a request he previously made in 2024.
House Study Bill 3, which also passed out of subcommittee and committee, would establish a National Guard Service Professional Qualification Scholarship program to provide funds to National Guard members pursuing higher education programs that are not associate or bachelor’s degrees. This would include certificates and other credential programs approved by the adjutant general, according to the legislation.
Funds not utilized by the National Guard Service Scholarship program would be used for the new scholarships, according to the bill.
“This is a great bill,” Levin said in the education committee meeting. “I think it recognizes the reality of education these days, and I’m excited to offer this opportunity to our Guards members.”
A House Veterans Affairs subcommittee also reviewed legislation touching on higher education for military members. House Study Bill 6 would expand the population of military members, veterans and family members who qualify for in-state tuition for undergraduate study at public universities and community colleges.
The bill would expand the definition of “qualified military person” in Iowa law to include veterans of armed conflict and those honorably discharged, and would qualify veterans’ spouses and children for resident tuition and fees.
The Iowa House Veterans Affairs Committee is set to bring up the legislation Wednesday, according to its schedule.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Brooklyn Draisey is a Report for America corps member covering higher education. She previously worked for the Quad-City Times and The Gazette covering topics ranging from business to culture.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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