SB196 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Move on When Ready; program established to allow qualifying high school junior and seniors to enroll full time at eligible community college, course approval provided for, Move on When Ready Fund created, Alabama Community College System required to administer

Summary

SB196 creates Move on When Ready, a program for eligible 11th- and 12th-grade students to take a full college course load at eligible colleges for high school credit, funded by a new dedicated fund and overseen by state education authorities.

What This Bill Does

It establishes the Move on When Ready Act and a Move on When Ready Fund to pay eligible colleges for courses taken under the program, using the lesser of actual costs or an amount calculated by the local program, minus a $200 records fee. Eligible students may enroll full-time at eligible public two-year or participating four-year institutions to earn high school credit toward graduation, while being considered part of the college and not allowed to take high school courses or participate in school activities during enrollment. The program requires course approvals, counseling, and annual reporting, and institutions cannot charge students for these courses; penalties apply for improper payments; the act becomes effective July 1, 2026 and does not replace existing dual enrollment funding established before October 1, 2024.

Who It Affects

• Eligible high school juniors and seniors who participate: they may take all courses at an eligible college, earn high school credits toward graduation, and must be counseled and sign an informed-consent form; they cannot simultaneously take traditional high school courses or participate in school activities while enrolled.
• Eligible institutions and local boards of education: they handle enrollment, course approval, credentialing, and payments; they receive funding through the Move on When Ready Fund (subject to cost calculations and deductions), must provide counseling and forms, and must ensure courses are approved and credits are awarded appropriately.

Key Provisions

• Creates Move on When Ready Act and Move on When Ready Fund; ACCS administers the fund and the state board adopts related rules.
• Eligible students (11th–12th graders) may enroll full-time at eligible institutions to take approved courses for secondary (high school) credit; they may receive credits toward graduation, with courses either approved for secondary credit or, if not approved, eligible for elective credit.
• Funding payments to institutions: lesser of actual tuition, materials, and fees or the amount the student would have earned under an equivalent local program, minus a $200 records fee; institutions cannot charge the student and must apply the payment as full payment.
• Course eligibility and credits: courses must be approved as substantially comparable to high school courses; co-requisites allowed but total secondary credit is for one course equivalent; credits are counted toward graduation and transcripted; non-approved courses may yield elective credits.
• Counseling, forms, and enrollment: local boards provide counseling and require signed forms acknowledging understanding of responsibilities before enrollment.
• Accountability and penalties: there are penalties for knowingly false statements or misrepresentations to obtain payments; annual reporting on program impact is required by July 1 each year.
• Effective date: the act becomes effective July 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education