All Roll Calls
Yes: 302 • No: 14
KansasHB 21852025–2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
Updating the Kansas national guard educational assistance act to include dependents of national guard members and the Kansas national guard educational master's for enhanced readiness and global excellence (EMERGE) program to include other advanced degrees.
Sponsored By: Committee on Education
Signed by Governor
senate committee on educationhouse committee on education
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Guard dependents gain tuition aid with obligations
A Kansas National Guard member can sponsor one eligible dependent during the member’s service for tuition and required fees. The dependent must meet education and enrollment requirements, register in the military’s DEERS dependent system, and apply for financial aid. Aid covers up to 15 credit hours per semester and 150% of the program’s required hours. Payments cannot exceed the state-school rate, and specified federal aid reduces them. Dependent aid requires state funding and comes only after all participating eligible Guard members’ education benefits are fully funded. The sponsor must serve actively in good standing for at least 24 months after the last semester of member or dependent aid. Failure to complete that service can require repayment.
Guard students face academic and service rules
To keep EMERGE aid, Guard students need a 2.75 GPA for master’s degrees or 3.0 for doctorates and professional degrees. They must stay in good standing at school, make satisfactory degree progress, and maintain satisfactory Guard participation. Before receiving aid, members must agree in writing to active service in good standing or an affiliated duty status. Master’s recipients commit to at least 48 months after their last funded semester; doctorate and professional-degree recipients commit to 72 months upon graduation. Missing the commitment requires repayment: total aid divided by 48 or 72, respectively, multiplied by months not served. Members can request a waiver in writing for extreme hardship or extenuating circumstances. The Kansas Army Guard Chief of Staff or Kansas Air Guard Director of Staff decides waiver requests. Repayments go into the EMERGE program repayment fund.
More Guard degrees qualify, with aid limits
Kansas National Guard EMERGE tuition aid now covers eligible doctorates and professional degrees, as well as master’s degrees. Members must gain admission to an eligible program at a qualifying Kansas institution and meet active-status and disciplinary requirements. A nonconcurrent Guard applicant must qualify to join the Kansas National Guard and enter an eligible professional degree program. Applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and apply for other eligible federal tuition aid. Subject to state funding, aid covers tuition and required fees for up to 15 credit hours per semester. Total coverage stops at 150% of required degree hours and excludes repeated courses or courses beyond degree requirements. Payments cannot exceed the state-school rate, and specified federal or institutional tuition aid reduces them. The program allows up to 100 selections annually and no more than 200 members in any school year.
Guard education aid reaches more independent colleges
Eligible Guard members and dependents can use education aid at an added class of qualifying independent colleges. These colleges must be nonprofit and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. They must operate outside state control, maintain open enrollment, and offer online learning. They must offer only competency-based programs, where students advance by showing they have mastered skills. This change adds eligible school options, not a separate payment.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Committee on Education
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 39 Nay: 1
Yes: 39 • No: 1
House vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 112 Nay: 6
Yes: 112 • No: 6
Senate vote • 3/19/2025
Final Action - Passed
Yes: 39 • No: 1
House vote • 2/18/2025
Final Action - Passed as amended
Yes: 112 • No: 6 • Other: 1
Actions Timeline
Law effective July 1, 2025
4/10/2025HouseApproved by Governor on Wednesday, March 26, 2025
3/26/2025HouseEnrolled and presented to Governor on Monday, March 24, 2025
3/24/2025HouseFinal Action - Passed; Yea 39, Nay 1
3/19/2025SenateCommittee of the Whole - Be passed
3/18/2025SenateCommittee Report recommending bill be passed by Senate Committee on Education
3/12/2025SenateHearing: Monday, March 10, 2025, 1:30 PM — Room 144-S
3/10/2025SenateReferred to Senate Committee on Education
2/20/2025SenateReceived and Introduced
2/19/2025SenateEngrossed on Monday, February 17, 2025
2/18/2025HouseFinal Action - Passed as amended; Yea 112, Nay 6, Absent 6
2/18/2025HouseCommittee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
2/17/2025HouseCommittee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
2/17/2025HouseCommittee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by House Committee on Education
2/13/2025HouseHearing: Thursday, February 6, 2025, 1:30 PM — Room 218-N
2/6/2025HouseIntroduced
1/31/2025HouseReferred to House Committee on Education
1/31/2025House
Bill Text
As Amended by House Committee on Education
As Introduced
Enrolled
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