108B LB1388 LPS Testimony
Education Committee
Sen. Dave Murman, Chairperson
Sen. Joni Albrecht, Vice Chairperson
Sen. Danielle Conrad
Sen. Lou Ann Linehan
Sen. Fred Meyer
Sen. Rita Sanders
Sen. Lynne Walz
Sen. Justin Wayne
Good afternoon distinguished members of the Education Committee:
I am here representing the Lincoln Board of Education in support of LB1388 because it provides matching funds to endow scholarships at postsecondary institutions in Nebraska for Nebraska resident students scoring 33 and above on the ACT. LB1388 also establishes a tuition waiver program for Nebraska resident students at community colleges if their family income is less than $65,000 per year as determined by the FAFSA. This is a valuable scholarship for college students, but it is also valuable for high school students because it can be used by students while still in high school for dual-credit courses.
Recent research on Career and Technical Education dual enrollment programs found that students were more likely to graduate high school (2+ percentage points higher) and more likely to enroll in college (9+ percentage points higher) than their peers. These positive impacts were particularly strong for student groups that are underrepresented in postsecondary education, including students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. This reinforces more than a decade of research on the power of early college access for all students, but especially for first-generation students.
An additional benefit is the impact that early college access can have on enrollment and post-graduation residency. Students who are enrolled in dual-credit opportunities in their local colleges have a natural connection to stay with that institution for their post-secondary work. They have learned the culture of the campus, they have built relationships with staff, they understand the processes of the institution, and they already have credits on their transcript at that school. This is valuable as 61% of post-secondary graduates are likely to live in the community of the college from which they graduate.
For these reasons, we support LB1388.
John Neal
Lincoln Public Schools
