H.F. 440 Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known and may be 1 cited as the “College Affordability Act”. 2 Sec. 2. Section 262.9, subsection 19, paragraph a, Code 3 2025, is amended to read as follows: 4 a. Not less than thirty days prior to action by the board 5 on any proposal to increase tuition, fees, or charges at 6 one or more of the institutions of higher education under 7 its control, send written notification of the amount of the 8 proposed increase including a copy of the proposed tuition 9 increase docket memorandum prepared for its consideration to 10 the presiding officers of the student government organization 11 of the affected institutions. The final decision on an 12 increase in tuition or mandatory fees charged to all students 13 at an institution for a fiscal year shall be made at a regular 14 meeting and shall be reflected in a final docket memorandum 15 that states the estimated total cost of attending each of the 16 institutions of higher education under the board’s control. 17 The regular meeting shall be held in Ames, Cedar Falls, or Iowa 18 City and shall not be held during a period in which classes 19 have been suspended for university holiday or break. The final 20 decision on an increase in tuition charged to all students at 21 an institution for a fiscal year shall be made at a regular 22 meeting held no later than December 31 of the previous fiscal 23 year. 24 Sec. 3. Section 262.9, subsection 19, Code 2025, is amended 25 by adding the following new paragraph: 26 NEW PARAGRAPH . d. Limit any annual increase in tuition or 27 mandatory fees charged for a fiscal year to all students at an 28 institution who are in-state residents to no more than three 29 percent. 30 Sec. 4. Section 262.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 31 following new subsections: 32 NEW SUBSECTION . 39. Direct each institution of higher 33 education governed by the board to establish a policy whereby 34 the tuition amount charged to students classified as residents 35 -1- LSB 1201HV (1) 91 je/jh 1/ 4

H.F. 440 that is charged to an undergraduate student in the student’s 1 first academic year of enrollment, commencing with a first 2 academic year of enrollment beginning in or after 2026, will 3 not increase in the student’s subsequent academic years of 4 undergraduate enrollment. For a student who begins their first 5 academic year of undergraduate enrollment with sufficient 6 academic transfer credits that the student can complete a 7 baccalaureate degree program in less than four academic years, 8 this requirement shall only apply for the number of academic 9 years necessary for the student to complete a degree program 10 with their academic transfer credits, rounded up. This 11 subsection does not apply to any academic years beyond three 12 consecutive academic years of undergraduate enrollment after a 13 student’s first academic year of enrollment. 14 NEW SUBSECTION . 40. Direct each institution of higher 15 education governed by the board to offer at least one 16 baccalaureate degree program that can be completed in three 17 years by the academic year beginning in 2027. 18 NEW SUBSECTION . 41. a. Direct each institution of higher 19 education governed by the board to establish, no later than 20 the academic year beginning in 2027, a work plus program in 21 accordance with this subsection. The program shall allow 22 an undergraduate student to engage in part-time employment 23 while pursuing a baccalaureate degree with the employer being 24 financially responsible for tuition and mandatory fees during 25 semesters of employment. 26 b. A student and employer participating in the program shall 27 sign an agreement, in a form established by the institution, to 28 comply with the requirements of this subsection. The agreement 29 must provide the rights and responsibilities of the student and 30 employer under the program. The agreement must include but not 31 be limited to the following requirements: 32 (1) The student shall perform part-time work for the 33 employer for at least one semester while enrolled at the 34 institution. 35 -2- LSB 1201HV (1) 91 je/jh 2/ 4

H.F. 440 (2) The employer shall pay the student for such work as 1 provided in chapter 91D. 2 (3) The employer shall be financially responsible for all 3 tuition and mandatory fees owed by the student during semesters 4 in which the student is employed under the program. 5 c. Each institution shall establish a registration process 6 for employers participating in the program. 7 d. The board may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to 8 administer this subsection. 9 EXPLANATION 10 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 11 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 12 This bill relates to tuition, degree programs, employment, 13 and related matters pertaining to students enrolled at regents 14 institutions. 15 The bill provides that the final decision by the state board 16 of regents (board) on an increase in tuition charged to all 17 students at an institution for a fiscal year shall be made at a 18 regular meeting of the board held no later than December 31 of 19 the previous fiscal year. 20 The bill requires the board to limit any annual increase 21 in tuition or mandatory fees charged for a fiscal year to all 22 students at a regents institution who are in-state residents to 23 no more than 3 percent. 24 The bill requires the board to direct each regents 25 institution to establish a policy whereby the tuition amount 26 charged to students classified as residents that is charged to 27 an undergraduate student in the student’s first academic year 28 of enrollment will not increase in the student’s subsequent 29 academic years of undergraduate enrollment. This requirement 30 applies to a student’s first academic year of enrollment that 31 begins in or after 2026. The bill provides limitations on this 32 requirement. 33 The bill requires the board to direct each regents 34 institution to offer at least one baccalaureate degree program 35 -3- LSB 1201HV (1) 91 je/jh 3/ 4

H.F. 440 that can be completed in three years by the academic year 1 beginning in 2027. 2 The bill requires the board to direct each regents 3 institution to establish a work plus program no later than 4 the academic year beginning in 2027. The program shall allow 5 an undergraduate student to engage in part-time employment 6 while pursuing a baccalaureate degree with the employer being 7 financially responsible for tuition and mandatory fees during 8 semesters of employment. A student and employer participating 9 in the program must sign an agreement, in a form established by 10 the regents institution, to comply with the requirements of the 11 program which provides the rights and responsibilities of both 12 parties. The agreement must at minimum provide for the student 13 to perform part-time work for the employer for at least one 14 semester while enrolled at the institution, for the employer 15 to pay the student the state or federal minimum wage, and for 16 the employer to be financially responsible for all tuition and 17 mandatory fees owed by the student during semesters in which 18 the student is employed. The bill requires each institution to 19 establish a registration process for employers participating 20 in the program. 21 -4- LSB 1201HV (1) 91 je/jh 4/ 4