Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee
SB 5904
Brief Description: Extending the terms of eligibility for financial aid programs.
Sponsors: Senators Nobles, Hansen, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Nguyen, Randall, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez and Wilson, C.; by request of Student Achievement Council.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Extends eligibility for awards under the Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, and Passport to Careers Program to six years or 150 percent of the published length of the student's program, or the credit or clock-hour equivalent.
Hearing Date: 2/16/24
Staff: Saranda Ross (786-7068).
Background:

Washington College Grant. 
The State Need Grant was modified in 2019 and renamed the Washington College Grant (WCG).  The WCG is the state's largest financial aid program, and provides awards to low-income students to pursue postsecondary education.  The WCG is an entitlement program with guaranteed awards for students who qualify.  Award amounts vary based on the institution the student attends and the student's family income.  An eligible student may receive the WCG for up to five years or 125 percent of the published length of the student's program, or the credit or clock-hour equivalent. 

 

College Bound Scholarship. 
The College Bound Scholarship (CBS) program was established in 2007 to provide recipients who attend two-year or four-year public institutions of higher education an award to cover the cost of tuition and fees, minus any state-funded grant, scholarship, or waiver assistance.  Recipients of CBS also receive $500 for books and materials.  To receive the CBS, a student must graduate from high school with at least a C grade point average, have no felony convictions, and have a family income that does not exceed 65 percent of the state median family income.  Beginning in fall of 2023 there is no high school grade point average requirement for students to receive the CBS at a community or technical college.  Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress, and may not receive the scholarship for more than four full-time years. 


Passport to Careers Program. 
The Passport to Careers Program (Passport to Careers) was created in 2018 to encourage former foster youth and unaccompanied homeless youth to prepare for careers through scholarship assistance and other support services such as educational planning, information, and institutional support.  Eligible students can access Passport to Careers through two pathways:  the Passport to College Promise Program (Passport to College) and the Passport to Apprenticeship Opportunities Program (Passport to Apprenticeship).  An individual is eligible for Passport to College for a maximum of five years or until age 26, whichever comes first.  The total award an individual may receive cannot exceed the resident undergraduate tuition and fees at the highest-priced public institution of higher education in the state.  An individual is eligible for Passport to Apprenticeship for a maximum of six years or until age 26, whichever comes first.
Summary of Bill:

A student is eligible to receive an award under the WCG, the CBS, Passport to College, or Passport to Apprenticeship for six years or up to 150 percent of the published length of the student's program, or the credit or clock-hour equivalent.  The requirement that a student use a Passport to Careers award before age 26 is eliminated.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.