All Roll Calls
Yes: 161 • No: 1
UtahS.B. 2162026 General SessionSenateWALLET
Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding
Sponsored By: Ann Millner (Republican)
Signed by Governor
EducationHigher EducationUtah Board of Higher EducationPerformance FundingColleges and UniversitiesUtah System of Higher Education
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Colleges meeting goals receive remaining funds
Beginning July 1, 2026, Utah's higher education board must review performance at the end of each five-year goal period. Funds left after the specified funding allocation go to institutions that meet or exceed their applicable goals. The Legislature may add money for those qualifying institutions, but the law sets no added amount. Colleges receive this money, not students directly.
Equal funding value for technical students
Beginning July 1, 2026, Utah must give secondary and adult technical college students equal value in funding formulas. This applies to growth and performance formulas not set in statute that contribute to technical college appropriations. The formulas must also fully account for services that technical colleges are legally required to provide. These are protections for how colleges receive funding, not direct payments to students.
College funding follows enrollment until 2031
Beginning July 1, 2026, Utah sets annual college funding changes for enrollment increases or decreases of at least 1%. The formula uses five-year averages of resident enrollment, measured in full-time equivalents, and direct teaching costs by instruction level. State cost-sharing weights are 50% for research universities, 60% for regional universities, 75% for community colleges, and 90% for technical colleges. Regional universities get a 65% weight instead if they do not raise lower-division combined tuition and general fees from the previous year. These enrollment-funding rules end July 1, 2031; they do not set direct student payments.
New goals guide college performance funding
Beginning July 1, 2026, Utah's higher education board sets mission-based measures and weights for July 1, 2027–June 30, 2032. All institutions have goals for at least 1% yearly growth in awards linked to high-demand jobs, or maintaining at least 80%; efficiency goals require at least 1% yearly growth in the five-year average of awards per full-time-equivalent student. Degree-granting schools have timely-completion goals of at least 1% yearly growth or maintaining at least 75%; regional and community colleges also target at least 1% yearly growth in first-year students reaching 30 credits, counting concurrent enrollment and prior-learning credits. Research universities target research spending growth at least 1% above the yearly change in the Consumer Price Index; technical colleges target at least 1% yearly growth in graduate placement into jobs or degree programs. The earlier five-year goals section ends July 1, 2027, and specified earlier metric and goal rules end July 1, 2028.
Selected jobs shape college funding measures
Beginning July 1, 2026, Utah's higher education board may select strategically important occupations after state workforce projections are released. It may select up to five for degree-granting schools and five for technical colleges. Each occupation needs a recommendation from the Talent, Education, and Industry Alignment Board and approval from the higher education board. If a job loses high-demand status, it still counts in funding calculations for students enrolled when it last qualified. This affects college funding measures, not direct student payments.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Ann Millner
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Karen M. Peterson
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/6/2026
Senate/ concurs with House amendment
Yes: 26 • No: 0
House vote • 3/5/2026
House/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 61 • No: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
House/ floor amendment
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 2/26/2026
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 10 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 27 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/20/2026
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/20/2026
Senate/ floor amendment
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/20/2026
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/20/2026
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
Yes: 26 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/3/2026
Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation
Yes: 6 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/3/2026
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 5 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
3/19/2026Senate/ to Governor
3/13/2026SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
3/13/2026SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
3/11/2026SenateEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
3/11/2026Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
3/10/2026Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling
3/10/2026Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ received from House
3/6/2026SenateHouse/ to Senate
3/6/2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
3/6/2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
3/6/2026HouseSenate/ to House
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ concurs with House amendment
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ received from House
3/6/2026SenateHouse/ to Senate
3/5/2026HouseHouse/ passed 3rd reading
3/5/2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
3/5/2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
3/5/2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
2/26/2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
2/26/2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2/26/2026House/ to standing committee
2/24/2026HouseHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2/23/2026House
Bill Text
Enrolled
3/11/2026
Amended 3/5/2026 17:03:147
3/5/2026
Amended 2/20/2026 17:02:810
2/20/2026
Amended 2/4/2026 11:02:230
2/4/2026
Introduced
1/28/2026