Bills › 91st General Assembly
Establishing a pilot program that authorizes eligible community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees
Sponsored by the House Higher Education Committee
Topics:Higher education
Same legislation: HSB 533
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 13, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 13, 2026
- Done: House committeeJanuary 28, 2026
- Done: Passes the HouseMarch 4, 202656–36
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Some community colleges could start offering four-year bachelor's degrees through a new pilot program. To do this, the college must be at least 50 miles away from a university that already teaches that same degree. These new programs must focus on specific jobs that are in high demand in the local area and cannot be taught entirely online.1
Read the official explanation
This bill establishes a pilot program that authorizes eligible community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees. The pilot program is to be administered by the department of education pursuant to rules adopted by the state board of education. The bill establishes requirements related to the rules adopted by the state board of education, including requiring that the rules provide that a community college shall not offer a degree program that leads to a baccalaureate degree unless the community college’s main campus is located at least 50 miles from the main campus of an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents or the main campus of a private institution of higher education that is already offering the degree program that the community college proposes to offer. In addition, the rules must provide that a community college shall not offer a degree program that leads to a baccalaureate degree unless: the degree program is in certain specified fields; instruction provided in courses within the degree program is not delivered entirely over the internet; and the degree program consists of accredited programs of study or academic majors that lead to jobs that address a high-demand, sustained, and unmet workforce need within the community college region. The bill establishes reporting requirements related to the pilot program. The bill defines “main campus” and “private institution of higher education”.
Why it matters. Eligible community colleges could offer certain four-year baccalaureate degrees in high-demand fields if they are located a specific distance from existing universities. The Department of Education expects a one-time cost of $100,000 to expand its curriculum database system.2
Changed since by amendment H-8022; see Amendments.
Senate subcommittee
Named March 12, 2026. On March 18, 2026 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Fiscal note
Cost: up to $100,000 Compare with other bills
AI summary This bill creates a pilot program that allows eligible community colleges to offer certain baccalaureate degrees. The Department of Education estimates a one-time cost of $100,000 to expand its curriculum database system, but the total fiscal impact of the bill is unknown. Any other costs to implement the bill will be covered by existing staff within the Bureau of Community Colleges.4
Read the fiscal note
Description
House File 2649 establishes a pilot program under the Department of Education (DE) to offer baccalaureate degrees at eligible community colleges. The State Board of Education will establish administrative rules necessary to administer this pilot program. The Bill also prohibits the creation of any baccalaureate degree program if there is an equivalent degree program offered at the main campus of a Regents institution or private, nonprofit college or university within 50 miles of the community college’s main campus. The upper-level courses are also required to be provided only at a community college’s primary campus location. All new degree programs must pertain to the following degree fields: education, nursing, information technology, public safety, business, health care management, agriculture, or dental hygiene. Under the bill, tuition for Iowa residents for upper-level courses offered as part of a baccalaureate program is not to exceed 150.0% of the lowest tuition rate per semester charged by an institution of higher education under the State Board of Regents for a full-time resident student.
Background
In October 2025, Iowa community colleges released the results of a College Student Baccalaureate Degree Feasibility Study evaluating the feasibility of authorizing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in Iowa. The analysis cites projected workforce demand, noting that while 42.0% of Iowa jobs currently require a bachelor’s degree, only 22.0% of Iowans hold one, and identifies educational deserts, particularly in rural areas, where access to affordable public four-year options is limited. The report concludes that Iowa community colleges possess partial academic and infrastructure capacity to offer bachelor’s programs but would require policy changes related to faculty workload, targeted investments in facilities and technology, and careful alignment with their traditional open-access mission. Drawing on experiences from 24 states where community college baccalaureate programs are already authorized, the report recommends:
- Allowing differentiated tuition for upper-division coursework, capped at 150.0% of lower-division tuition.
- Using existing program approval and regional accreditation processes with locally elected boards determining program offerings and identifying employment outcomes and statewide educational attainment as key metrics for evaluating program effectiveness.
- An earliest potential implementation date of fall 2028, assuming statutory authority is granted in 2026.
The DE utilizes the State of Iowa Curriculum System (STICS) as a centralized curriculum database and program approval system. The STICS is used by Iowa’s community colleges to approve Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, to approve Arts and Sciences courses, and to maintain the Iowa Community College Course Numbering System. The STICS is also used at the secondary level for approval of CTE programs offered by Iowa public school districts. The system is not currently configured to support baccalaureate degree programs.
Assumptions
- The new baccalaureate programs will be integrated into the current STICS and will incur associated IT costs for the expansion.
- The baccalaureate program will be tuition-driven, and the community colleges will be allowed to charge differentiated tuition for upper-division coursework, capped at 150.0% of lower-division tuition.
- The number of colleges participating in the pilot program and the number of initial pilot programs is unknown; however, the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees confirmed each community college would be eligible for at least one pilot program.
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact of the Bill is unknown and will vary depending on how quickly and how many new baccalaureate programs are created during the pilot program. The DE estimates a one-time cost of $100,000 to expand STICS. Any additional costs to implement the requirements of this Bill will be absorbed by existing staff within the Bureau of Community Colleges.
Sources
- Department of Education
- Iowa Association of Community College Trustees
- Community Colleges, Baccalaureate Degrees · March 16, 2026 · $100,000
- Community Colleges, Baccalaureate Degrees · March 3, 2026 · $100,000
- Community Colleges, Baccalaureate Degrees · February 26, 2026
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91st General Assembly