SB196 Summary

• Establishes the Move on When Ready Act, allowing eligible 11th and 12th grade students to enroll full-time at eligible public higher education institutions and receive high school credit for all coursework completed.

• Creates the Move on When Ready Fund administered by the Executive Director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to pay eligible institutions the lesser of actual tuition/fees or per-student funding equivalent, minus a $200 records fee.

• Prohibits eligible institutions from charging participating students for coursework and requires state board consultation with community college and higher education officials to adopt rules regarding eligibility criteria and course approvals.

• Requires local boards of education to provide information and counseling about the program to middle and high school students by April 1 each year, and mandates annual reporting on student participation and outcomes beginning July 1 each year.

• Establishes misdemeanor penalties for anyone who knowingly makes false statements or misrepresentations to enable an institution to wrongfully obtain program payments; becomes effective July 1, 2026.