Wyoming’s Tomorrow Scholarship bill was signed into law by Governor Mark Gordon after being passed in the House on March 10, with $10 million appropriated to the endowment fund from the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account (LSRA).
The scholarship will allow non-traditional students over the age of 24 to receive up to $7,200 a year for up to four full academic terms at a Wyoming school.
However, the money will not be disbursed to students until the endowment fund reaches $50 million.
“It is our hope that the legislature as well as the private sector will be able to come up with funding to be able to continue to build the endowment to get to that 50-million-dollar threshold where the scholarships will be able to be awarded,” Wyoming Business Alliance (WBA) President Cindy DeLancey said.
“We won’t really be able to see any impact or results from the work of the legislature until the endowment is funded to the level where scholarships can be awarded.”
The bill allows for gift donations to contribute to the endowment, including those from businesses and industries around the state.
“[WBA] works very closely with the legislature but there has to be more than just one solution on how to get the endowment funded,” DeLancey said. “There’s a lot of excitement amongst industry, and several private businesses are looking at a way that they could contribute to the endowment.”
In addition to the University of Wyoming and the state’s community colleges, the scholarship funds can be used for non-credit credentials approved under the Wyoming Works Program, a state grant program targeted at adults seeking to advance their skills.
Representative Mike Greear spoke on the house floor March 10 in support of the program and the scholarship endowment.
“The senate amendment putting in the trade schools and the certificates is really, really good and takes us closer to what I had envisioned for the future for us,” Greear said. “Life gets in the way, and you can’t always just shut down and go to school and get that certificate, that degree to make your lot in life better.”
Wyoming Community Colleges Executive director Sandra Caldwell emphasized the importance of providing more opportunities for adult students.
“We don’t have really anything in our state for our adult learners and we have a disproportionate population of adults without a post-secondary credential,” Caldwell said. “The challenge of that is people have a more challenging time adapting to economic changes, particularly ones that occur very quickly.”
Caldwell emphasized the importance of Wyoming’s businesses and industries working together with higher education institutions.
“Having that connection to business and industry is so critical and that is why businesses and industries lined up to support this bill,” Caldwell said. “It’s just really powerful in recognizing how it takes an education and business and industry to work together to create a long-term vision for the state.”
DeLancey said that the bill would help the next generation of workers and help Wyoming move forward.
“To create opportunities for our next generation of workers is something that’s really an important priority for all Wyoming businesses, and to have the opportunity to do that through this piece of legislation is really a game changer going forward,” DeLancey said.
