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                                          ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 3278

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                                                            AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

                                                                            C 232 L 86

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Gaspard, Patterson, Rinehart, Goltz and McDermott

Read first time 1/23/85 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to institutions of higher education; amending RCW 28B.15.740; adding a new section to chapter 28B.15 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature intends to permit the governing boards of the four-year institutions of higher education to waive tuition and fees for certain students of foreign nations.  To the greatest extent possible, students chosen for these waivers and for the institutions' own approved study abroad programs shall reflect the range of socioeconomic and ethnic characteristics of the students' institutions and native countries.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.15 RCW to read as follows:

          The boards of regents of the state universities and the boards of trustees of the regional universities and The Evergreen State College may waive the tuition, operating, and services and activities fees  for undergraduate or graduate students of foreign nations subject to the following limitations:

          (1) No more than the equivalent of one hundred waivers may be awarded to undergraduate or graduate students of foreign nations at each of the two state universities;

          (2) No more than the equivalent of twenty waivers may be awarded to undergraduate or graduate students of foreign nations at each of the regional universities and The Evergreen State College;

          (3) Priority in the awarding of waivers shall be given to students on academic exchanges or academic special programs sponsored by recognized international educational organizations;

          (4) An undergraduate or graduate student of a foreign nation receiving a waiver under this section is not eligible for any other.

          The waiver programs under this section, to the greatest extent possible, shall promote reciprocal placements and waivers in foreign nations for Washington residents.  The number of waivers awarded by each institution shall not exceed the number of that institution's own students enrolled in approved study programs abroad during the same period.

        Sec. 3.  Section 1, chapter 262, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. as last amended by section 33, chapter 390, Laws of 1985 and RCW 28B.15.740 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) The boards of trustees or regents of each of the state's regional universities, The Evergreen State College, or state universities, and the various community colleges, consistent with regulations and procedures established by the state board for community college education, may waive, in whole or in part, tuition and services and activities fees subject to the limitations set forth in subsection (2).

          (2) The total dollar amount of tuition and fee waivers awarded by any state university, regional university, or state college, shall not exceed four percent, and for the community colleges considered as a whole, such amount shall not exceed three percent of an amount determined by estimating the total collections from tuition and services and activities fees had no such waivers been made and deducting the portion of that total amount which is attributable to the difference between resident and nonresident fees:  PROVIDED, That at least three-fourths of the dollars waived shall be for needy students who are eligible for resident tuition and fee rates pursuant to RCW 28B.15.012 through 28B.15.015:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the remainder of the dollars waived, not to exceed one-fourth of the total, may be applied to other students at the discretion of the board of trustees or regents, except on the basis of participation in intercollegiate athletic programs:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the waivers for undergraduate and graduate students of foreign nations under section 2 of this 1986 act are not subject to the limitation under this section.