We always try our best to keep you informed and to be forthcoming, and that is the purpose of our message to you today. H.B. 455 Utah Scholarship Program Amendments Sub 2 has been made public. UEFA will be taking a position of neutrality and will not be opposing the bill. Let us explain further.
Early in February we were given permission to share that the scholarship amount in this year’s legislation would not be reduced for any specific category of student. This is no longer the case. Although bill sponsors Representative Candice Pierucci and Senator Kirk Cullimore advocated to protect it, the hard-won victory was ultimately undone. It goes without saying that the realities of policymaking are perilous. There are negotiations between differing and competing points of view, with give and take and compromises and concessions that inevitably have to happen in order to protect the long term viability of a policy.
Our position on the latest substitute is one of neutrality for a reason. H.B. 455 S2 is how the program survives and is allowed to move forward. We respect the legislative process and understand difficult decisions are made in good faith and with the best of intentions, as well as to maintain the legislature’s fiduciary responsibility for taxpayer funds. These are not excuses, just realities.
Despite our best efforts and strongly shared position that our preference is to retain the full $8000 for every student, we were not on the winning side of this negotiation, which in the end determined the following changes to scholarship amounts.
The bill now reads — A scholarship student is eligible for no more than:
➡️ for a private school student, $8,000
➡️ for a student ages 5-12 as of September 1 of the scholarship year, $4,000
➡️ for a student ages 13-18 as of September 1 of the scholarship year, $6,000
Many may feel we have let you down in this aspect. No one feels the weight of that larger than we do. While we were able to influence positive improvements to the policy, we, along with other stakeholders, had some priorities lost in the give and take. Important changes, such as art and music categorized as core, are among victories achieved. We do recognize and appreciate that proposed changes, particularly regarding scholarship amounts, will elicit a range of reactions and opinions.
An important development to understand about these changes is that the reduction in the home-based scholarship amount will automatically increase the number of scholarships awarded through the program’s current $80 million appropriation — with the continued hope that we will also receive an increase in program funding this year.
We have shared our perspective and account based on UEFA’s experience and involvement in the political process. You must formulate your own opinions and conclusions. We encourage you to follow the bill and the debate closely to stay informed. Go here to the general page for the bill to find all versions, status, hearings and debates.