2381-S.E AMS HIE AMS4996.1
ESHB 2381 - S COMM AMD
By Committee on Higher Education
ADOPTED AS AMENDED 3/4/04
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1. RCW 28B.85.020 and 1996 c 305 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The board:
(a) Shall adopt by rule minimum standards for degree-granting institutions concerning granting of degrees, quality of education, unfair business practices, financial stability, and other necessary measures to protect citizens of this state against substandard, fraudulent, or deceptive practices. The board shall adopt the rules in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW;
(b) May investigate any entity the board reasonably believes to be subject to the jurisdiction of this chapter. In connection with the investigation, the board may administer oaths and affirmations, issue subpoenas and compel attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memorandums, or other records which the board deems relevant or material to the investigation. The board, including its staff and any other authorized persons, may conduct site inspections, the cost of which shall be borne by the institution, and examine records of all institutions subject to this chapter;
(c) Shall develop an interagency agreement with the work force training and education coordinating board to regulate degree-granting private vocational schools with respect to degree and nondegree programs; and
(d) Shall develop and disseminate information to the public about entities that sell or award degrees without requiring appropriate academic achievement at the postsecondary level, including but not limited to, a description of the substandard and potentially fraudulent practices of these entities, and advice about how the public can recognize and avoid the entities. To the extent feasible, the information shall include links to additional resources that may assist the public in identifying specific institutions offering substandard or fraudulent degree programs.
(2) Financial disclosures provided to the board by degree-granting private vocational schools are not subject to public disclosure under chapter 42.17 RCW.
Sec. 2. RCW 28B.85.040 and 1996 c 97 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) An institution or person shall not advertise, offer, sell, or award a degree or any other type of educational credential unless the student has enrolled in and successfully completed a prescribed program of study, as outlined in the institution's publications. This prohibition shall not apply to honorary credentials clearly designated as such on the front side of the diploma or certificate and awarded by institutions offering other educational credentials in compliance with state law.
(2) No exemption granted under this chapter is permanent. The board shall periodically review exempted degree-granting institutions, and continue exemptions only if an institution meets the statutory requirements for exemption in effect on the date of the review.
(3) Except as provided in subsection (1) of this section, this chapter shall not apply to:
(a) Any public college, university, community college, technical college, or institute operating as part of the public higher educational system of this state;
(b) Institutions that have been accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the agency for the purposes of this chapter: PROVIDED, That those institutions meet minimum exemption standards adopted by the agency; and PROVIDED FURTHER, That an institution, branch, extension, or facility operating within the state of Washington which is affiliated with an institution operating in another state must be a separately accredited member institution of any such accrediting association to qualify for this exemption;
(c) Institutions of a religious character, but only as to those education programs devoted exclusively to religious or theological objectives if the programs are represented in an accurate manner in institutional catalogs and other official publications; ((or))
(d) Honorary credentials clearly designated as such on the front side of the diploma or certificate awarded by institutions offering other educational credentials in compliance with state law; or
(e) Institutions not otherwise exempt which offer only workshops or seminars ((lasting no longer than three calendar days and for which academic credit is not awarded)) and institutions offering only credit-bearing workshops or seminars lasting no longer than three calendar days.
Sec. 3. RCW 28B.119.010 and 2003 c 233 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
The higher education coordinating board shall design the Washington promise scholarship program based on the following parameters:
(1) Scholarships shall be awarded to students graduating from public and approved private high schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW, students participating in home-based instruction as provided in chapter 28A.200 RCW, and persons twenty-one years of age or younger receiving a GED certificate, who meet both an academic and a financial eligibility criteria.
(a) Academic eligibility criteria shall be defined as follows:
(i) Beginning with the graduating class of 2002, students graduating from public and approved private high schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW must be in the top fifteen percent of their graduating class, as identified by each respective high school at the completion of the first term of the student's senior year; or
(ii) Students graduating from public high schools, approved private high schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW, students participating in home-based instruction as provided in chapter 28A.200 RCW, and persons twenty-one years of age or younger receiving a GED certificate, must equal or exceed a cumulative scholastic assessment test I score of twelve hundred on their first attempt or must equal or exceed a composite American college test score of twenty-seven on their first attempt.
(b) To meet the financial eligibility criteria, a student's family income shall not exceed one hundred thirty-five percent of the state median family income adjusted for family size, as determined by the higher education coordinating board for each graduating class. Students not meeting the eligibility requirements for the first year of scholarship benefits may reapply for the second year of benefits, but must still meet the income standard set by the board for the student's graduating class.
(2) Promise scholarships are not intended to supplant any grant, scholarship, or tax program related to postsecondary education. If the board finds that promise scholarships supplant or reduce any grant, scholarship, or tax program for categories of students, then the board shall adjust the financial eligibility criteria or the amount of scholarship to the level necessary to avoid supplanting.
(3) Within available funds, each qualifying student shall receive two consecutive annual awards, the value of each not to exceed the full-time annual resident tuition rates charged by Washington's community colleges. The higher education coordinating board shall award scholarships to as many students as possible from among those qualifying under this section.
(4) By October 15th of each year, the board shall determine the award amount of the scholarships, after taking into consideration the availability of funds.
(5) The scholarships may only be used for undergraduate coursework at accredited institutions of higher education in the state of Washington.
(6) The scholarships may be used for undergraduate coursework at Oregon institutions of higher education that are part of the border county higher education opportunity project in RCW 28B.80.806 when those institutions offer programs not available at accredited institutions of higher education in Washington state.
(7) The board at its discretion may allow the scholarship to be used for undergraduate education at Oregon and Idaho institutions, located in counties adjacent to the Washington border, in order to accommodate otherwise eligible students with special needs due to documented disabilities. The board may establish rules regarding acceptable documentation of disabilities and the special needs.
(8) The scholarships may be used for college-related expenses, including but not limited to, tuition, room and board, books, and materials.
(((8))) (9) The scholarships may not be awarded to any student who is pursuing a degree in theology.
(((9))) (10) The higher education coordinating board may establish satisfactory progress standards for the continued receipt of the promise scholarship.
(((10))) (11) The higher education coordinating board shall establish the time frame within which the student must use the scholarship."
ESHB 2381 - S COMM AMD
By Committee on Higher Education
ADOPTED AS AMENDED 3/4/04
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "education;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "and amending RCW 28B.85.020, 28B.85.040, and 28B.119.010."
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