Iowa would fund education and limit public university tuition increases

Iowa would set aside state money for education agencies, community colleges, public universities, and job training. The money supports the named agencies and programs. Spending must follow each listed purpose and any staff limit. The state general fund would provide $3,207,190 for the Department for the Blind and $247,008,533 in general aid for community colleges. General university budgets would receive $223,496,355 for the University of Iowa, $229,864,938 for Iowa State University, and $101,894,146 for the University of Northern Iowa. The state general fund would provide $12,813,313 for the Iowa School for the Deaf and $5,112,412 for Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Other general fund amounts include $10 million for special education oversight, $9,946,450 for Jobs for America's Graduates, and $23,927,005 for the Future Ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship fund. These are program budgets, not guaranteed individual awards. These funding amounts apply from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

The Iowa Board of Regents would limit tuition increases for resident undergraduates and provide fixed tuition to students who pay an enrollment fee. The rules cover resident undergraduates at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa. Students outside the fixed-tuition policy would have increases capped at the average increase in the higher education price index over the previous three years. This is an index of college costs. Fixed tuition requires a fee paid upon enrollment. The board would set the fee at no more than 10 percent of the student's first-year base resident tuition. Fixed tuition lasts through no more than three consecutive academic years after the first year. Students with enough transfer credits to finish sooner receive protection for the years needed, rounded up. Students transferring between these universities may face the receiving university's higher tuition rate for their original first academic year. The fixed-tuition policy covers students whose first academic year of enrollment begins in or after 2027.

The Iowa Board of Regents would require American history and American government courses within undergraduate general education requirements. The course requirement covers incoming undergraduates at Iowa's three public universities, except those in the shorter degree programs. Each course must carry at least three semester credits and count toward a humanities or social sciences graduation requirement. Students in degree programs designated as lasting three years or less are exempt. Transfer students must receive credit for substantially similar earlier coursework. Iowa State University's Center for Cyclone Civics and the University of Northern Iowa's Center for Civic Education would designate qualifying courses annually. Only the University of Iowa's Center for Intellectual Freedom would offer qualifying courses there. The proposal also strikes that center's separate requirement to offer at least one course in American history and civil government. The requirement applies to undergraduate students beginning enrollment in academic years starting on or after July 1, 2028.

Iowa would provide vocational-technical tuition grants for qualifying community college students and students at eligible private barbering and cosmetology schools. The private-school rules do not cover every for-profit college. Community college grants cover vocational-technical or career programs. Applicants must be Iowa residents with financial need. Eligible private schools must be for-profit barbering and cosmetology schools in Iowa that are licensed, nationally accredited, and meet the other listed requirements. At eligible private schools, full-time fall and spring grants would cover financial need up to $6,000. Summer grants would equal half the student's fall and spring grant. Part-time students at eligible private schools must take at least three but fewer than twelve semester credits, or the equivalent. Their awards would equal the full-time award multiplied by enrolled credits divided by twelve. Other financial aid counts toward available resources. Combined government aid cannot exceed tuition and mandatory fees. Students must reapply annually. The transfer covers money still uncommitted on July 1, 2026. The yearly vocational grant amount applies to fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2025.

Iowa education officials would protect certain school budget amounts, report on antibullying work, and follow the proposal's school administration provisions. The budget protections concern school districts' extra spending authority for dropout prevention. The reporting duty belongs to the Department of Education. The School Budget Review Committee and Department of Education could not reduce a previously approved extra spending amount because a school board failed to approve its dropout prevention plan annually. The School Budget Review Committee and Department of Management would reverse negative extra spending amounts assessed for that failure from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027. The proposal includes repeal of the law establishing the Iowa Special Education Council. That council advises the Department of Education on education for children who need special education. The Department of Education would report to lawmakers on school violence reports, its antibullying programs, and current and projected spending for the preceding fiscal year. The antibullying report must reach lawmakers on or before November 1 each year.