The House of Representatives voted Thursday to increase the dollar amount for the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship.
House Bill 1055 increases the total scholarship amount from $6,500 over four years to $7,500. This would apply for any scholarships awarded after July 1 of this year.
District 13 Rep. Tony Venhuizen brought forward the bill. He said increasing the dollar amount would help keep more students in the state.
“We all know the workforce need we have and the need for that, so I’ll be happy as a clam if in three or four years I have to come back and tell you all that we kept more people than we thought we would," he said during the bill's hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations. "That would be a wonderful problem to have.”
Venhuizen also said the increase would not impact the general fund, as the program is currently overfunded and can support the increase in the scholarship for the next three years.
The opportunity scholarship can be used for all universities in the state, including technical, tribal, and private schools.
The bill was passed with a 62-8 vote. HB 1055 now moves to its first hearing in the Senate.
