The last of this year’s Idaho Launch awards will go out this week, and state officials are starting to think about how the program will look next year.

One change, at some point, might involve AI. The state might be able to use artificial intelligence to verify pieces of the Launch applications.

“That’s something we are looking at for the future,” state Workforce Development Council executive director Wendi Secrist said during a council meeting Tuesday morning.

The Workforce Development Council is leading the state’s rollout of Launch, which provides high school graduates up to $8,000 for college or job training. More than 9,000 graduates will get a share of this year’s grants, which they can use to pursue a high-demand job or career.

Students must submit their high school diplomas and transcripts in order to get Launch money; the program doesn’t have a GPA requirement, but Launch money is available only to high school graduates. An AI system could be trained to review diplomas and transcripts to check eligibility, Secrist said.

Another change could come next year, and this one might affect 2025 graduates. The state might award some Launch grants during senior year, instead of making all awards in the summer. But at the same time, Secrist said, the state wants to maintain “touchpoints” through the summer, to make sure graduates follow through on their plans to use the Launch program.

This summer’s Launch rollout featured a high-tech blitz — the state sent out more than 92,000 automated emails and 7,700 text messages to eligible students. The rollout was also a big lift for the council, the State Board of Education and the colleges and universities, Secrist said, and the second year might be a bit more streamlined.

“This first year is very daunting,” she said.

The 2024 Legislature approved another $70.8 million for Launch, which will go to next year’s high school graduates.