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AL SB344
Bill
AI Summary
- Creates the College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Fund to provide bonus funding to Alabama public universities and community colleges that meet student and institutional performance goals
- Eligible institutions include 14 public four-year universities, Tuskegee University, and Alabama Community College System schools; bonuses are tied to metrics like graduation rates, student retention, employment in high-wage/high-demand jobs, and research expenditures
- Establishes an 11-member Outcomes-Based Higher Education Funding Coordinating Committee, led by the chairs of legislative education finance committees, to set performance criteria and determine which occupations qualify as high-demand fields every three years
- Alabama Commission on Higher Education will administer the fund at no fee; institutions must provide accurate annual data to qualify, and those submitting faulty or manipulated data lose funding for affected categories
- Effective June 1, 2026, with program implementation beginning October 1, 2026; supersedes existing outcomes-based funding programs including the Alabama Community College System program from Act 2017-217
Legislative Description
Higher education, College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Act established, bonus funding for eligible institutions authorized based on achievement of performance goals and objectives
Education
Last Action
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
3/11/2026
Committee Referrals
Finance and Taxation Education3/5/2026
Full Bill Text
No bill text available