Nevada Legislature: Committee passes bill raising bar for Millennium Scholarship

A Nevada Senate committee has passed a bill that would require students to take more college credits to qualify for the Millennium Scholarship.

The Senate Education Committee passed SB128 on Thursday. It now heads to the Senate floor for a vote.

Current law allows Nevada community college students to receive the scholarship if they’re enrolled in at least six credit hours a semester. The bill raises that to nine credits.

The bill also increases the number of credits that the Millennium Scholarship will fund, from 12 to 15 per semester. Students could still only receive $10,000 total from the scholarship.

The measure aims to push students toward a heavier courseload. Bill sponsor Sen. Joyce Woodhouse says full-time community college students are five times more likely to graduate than part-time students.