SF 4096 Summary

• Establishes a scholarship program administered by the Office of Higher Education to provide up to 1,000 scholarships worth $5,000 each to students entering health technician programs by 2025.

• Eligible students must be Minnesota residents enrolled in their first term of a nationally accredited degree, diploma, or certificate program in medical laboratory technologist, medical laboratory technician, respiratory therapist, radiology technologist, or surgical technologist fields.

• First scholarships awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year; scholarships paid in lump sum directly to the institution where recipients are enrolled.

• Requires reporting to legislative committees by February 1, 2024, and February 1, 2025, on program information including eligible programs, health technician demand data, and scholarship distribution by year, institution, field, and recipient demographics.

• Appropriates $5,380,000 from the general fund in fiscal year 2023: $5,000,000 for scholarships, $230,000 for promotion and recruitment, and $150,000 for program administration; program expires June 30, 2025.