The Washington National Guard Postsecondary Education Grant Program (Program), formerly the National Guard Conditional Scholarship Program, is administered by the Office of Student Financial Assistance (Office). The Office selects participants with the assistance of the Washington Military Department. To be eligible for the Program, an active drilling member of the Washington National Guard (Guard) who is in good standing must:
Participants receive grants to help pay for postsecondary education program costs for up to five years or 125 percent of the published length of the program, or the credit or clock-hour equivalent. Participants incur an obligation to repay the grant, with interest, unless they serve in the Guard for one year for each year they received the grant. Grants may not result in a reduction of federal or other state financial aid and may not exceed:
Eligible participants are expanded to include the spouse or dependent of a Guard member. The Guard member must designate their spouse or dependent and agree to fulfill his or her service obligation. A dependent is defined as a person enrolled as a dependent in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. To be eligible for the Program, a designated spouse or dependent must:
Guard members incur an obligation to repay the grant, with interest, unless they serve in the Guard for one year for each year they or their spouse or dependent received the grant. Grant eligibility is extended to six years or 150 percent of the published length of the program in which the participant is enrolled or the credit or clock-hour equivalent. The Office must adopt rules for an appeals process for Guard members who do not satisfy their service obligations under the Program.
(In support) There are approximately 8,000 Washington National Guard members in our state. They deploy overseas for federal missions and in the state during domestic emergencies such as wildfires, floods, and global pandemics. They are also our neighbors, the folks we see at the grocery store, the folks coaching our children's soccer games, the folks working at local businesses, and many more. They are uniquely part of our communities and without them our economy and communities would not be as strong. We need a robust educational system for our Guard members, as we do not want to lose them to other states with better educational support. This bill recognizes the sacrifices and commitment of Guard members and their families, keeps Washington competitive with other states, and acknowledges the significance of Guard member's families.
Since 1994 the Legislature has provided educational benefits to Guard members to help them achieve their higher education goals. Yet, less than 30 percent of Washington Guard members have postsecondary degrees. This bill expands the Washington National Guard Postsecondary Education Grant Program to provide benefits to the families of Guard members and ensures Guard members, and their families, have additional time to pursue degrees. Ultimately, it enables Guard members and their families to achieve their dreams by choosing what works best for them. This bill also aligns with the Montgomery GI Bill. With strong marketing, this bill will also help with Washington National Guard recruitment and retainment efforts.
(Opposed) None.
Representative Mari Leavitt, prime sponsor; Bret Daugherty, Washington Military Department; Charles Wharton, Veterans Legislative Coalition; Collin Bannister, Associated Students of Washington State University; Breck Lebegue; and Charles Barnett, National Guard Association.
No new changes were recommended.
(In support) The University of Washington Tacoma has a large military-affiliated population; those students bring diverse thoughts and perspectives to campus. Ensuring members of the National Guard and their families can pursue higher education benefits our economy. This program is an investment in our state. Similar programs have been used to incentivize participation in higher education and continued service in the Washington Guard. The program could be used in order to fill shortages in mental and behavioral health specialties.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) There are approximately 8,000 Washington National Guard members in our state. This grant program has been funded since 2020. Less than 30 percent of Washington Guard members have postsecondary degrees. The expansion of the program to provide tuition benefits to spouses and dependents is modeled after the GI Bill. The expansion should be concurrent with the funding provided in the Governor's budget proposal.
(In support) Breck Lebegue; Charles Wharton, Veterans Legislative Coalition; and Reese Ramirez, Associated Students of the University of Washington Tacoma.