OH SB182

Establishes the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year to provide scholarships to qualifying students with current or past foster care experience.

Requires the Department of Education and Workforce to hire a full-time school foster care liaison to facilitate services for foster care students, including keeping them in their school of origin and coordinating transitions if necessary.

Defines qualifying students as Ohio residents who were placed in foster care at age 13 or older, or in noncertified kinship care at age 13 or older if adjudicated as abused, neglected, or dependent.

Scholarship amount equals recognized cost of attendance minus other financial aid received (federal Pell grants, state grants, Chafee ETV grants, institutional aid, and other sources).

Appropriates $7,500,000 for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, with an additional $15,000,000 initial transfer from the General Revenue Fund; includes employment of four full-time foster care student navigators to assist prospective students with applications and college enrollment.