Too many college students are taking coursework.

That doesn't count towards a degree.

That's according to a Georgetown Republican.

She's proposing Kentucky's higher education officials make way for more college credit to be transferred from one school to the next.

But as our June Lefler reports, public universities are not quite on board.

That begins tonight's legislative update.

Student circumstances change, and they should be encouraged to remain in school until degree completion.

If they need to move or transfer to another university.

House Bill 47 would have ensured that students receive the college credits they earned and paid for from another accredited Kentucky university.

Representative Vanessa Grassley's bill passed in one chamber last year.

She presents House Bill 94 this year.

The Pritchard Committee for Academic Excellence applauded our work on this and issued a letter highlighting four main reasons for their support.

It eliminates credit loss during transfer, creates clear transfer pathways, reduces time and cost to degree completion, and strengthens Kentucky's workforce.

More than a decade ago, the General Assembly required universities to accept general education transfer credits.

Grassley's bill adds on that.

That sometime they take these courses at a two year, but when they go to the four year, it doesn't count toward the general aid credit.

They have to take those courses over again or take other courses in math reading into that curriculum.

So the general ed courses would transfer.

It's the it's the House Bill 94 really addressing the issues of those major specific courses.

So, you know, some there are, you know, most majors have required courses in the 102 hundred level, the first 60 hours.

This is sort of the next step that would just include that the majors that are chosen as part of this program, that those 120 level courses would be outlined that you need to take that would transfer into that major.

When the student transfers.

Though, universities could opt out for specialty degrees, they still oppose the measure.

By my recollection, all of the provosts, in Kentucky met last year at the end of last year to discuss this bill.

We all agreed that we can improve transfer pathways, and we will continue to work together to do so.

But my recollection of that conversation, which did include CPE, did not include any support for this bill.

We also recognize that some students may encounter friction points that slow their progress.

Addressing those challenges requires a clear understanding of where the problems actually exist, which is why data must drive the next phase of policy development without that clarity.

House Bill 94 proposes a solution before identifying the problem, and risks creating new administrative layers that do not improve our student outcomes.

The House Post-secondary Education Committee did not vote on the matter.

The chair encouraged universities and the bill's sponsor to go back to the drawing board before a vote later this session for Kentucky Edition.

I'm June Leffler.

Thank you.

June House bill 94 targets degrees for high demand jobs like nursing and education.