Arkansas' lottery-funded scholarships would be awarded based on the number of credit hours earned by college students under a proposal endorsed by the House.
The bill advanced to the Senate on Thursday in a 77-0 vote. Republican Rep. Dwight Tosh of Jonesboro says the change would begin in 2016 and require the Department of Higher Education to award scholarships based on credit hours instead of academic year.
Tosh says the change would give students an incentive to graduate as early as possible.
The House is also scheduled to consider a separate bill to cut the lottery-funded scholarships incoming freshmen will receive and base its eligibility solely on standardized testing.
