HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1769

As Amended by the Senate

BYRepresentatives Fraser, Jacobsen, Heavey, H. Myers, Inslee, Prince, Wood, Jesernig, Spanel, Ebersole, Rector, Van Luven and Schoon

Allowing student exchange programs with institutions in other states.

House Committe on Higher Education

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Jacobsen, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Van Luven, Ranking Republican Member; Basich, Doty, Fraser, Heavey, Inslee, Jesernig, Miller, H. Myers, Prince and Wood.

House Staff:Susan Hosch (786-7120)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 15, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Washington law permits colleges and universities to waive all or a part of tuition and fees for students participating in certain exchange programs or exchange agreements.  Students from Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, who are selected by their college to participate in the reciprocal tuition agreements Washington has entered with their state or province, are exempt from the tuition differential normally charged to nonresident students.

Certain foreign students participating in academic exchange programs at four-year institutions of higher education may have all tuition and fees waived.  The number of foreign student waivers granted by a college or university must not exceed the number of students from that institution attending college in a foreign country as part of an approved study abroad program.

Certain foreign students participating in academic exchanges or in special programs recognized through formal agreements between states, cities, or institutions, may have the nonresident portion of their tuition waived by the community college they are attending.  The number of waivers granted by a community college must not exceed the number of that institution's own students enrolled in approved study abroad programs during the same period.

SUMMARY:

The legislature recognizes the value of expanding opportunities for Washington students to attend schools in other states through student exchange programs.

The state four- year universities and college may enter into student exchange programs with either public four-year institutions of higher education in other states, or with a consortium representing those institutions.  Participating institutions may waive the nonresident tuition differential for exchange students from other states.

The number of exchange students receiving nonresident tuition waivers at a given Washington institution must not exceed the number of students from that institution receiving nonresident tuition waivers at participating out-of- state institutions.  Waiver imbalances occurring in one year must be off-set in the next year.  In addition, a student's participation in the exchange program is limited to one calendar year.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENTS:  Governing boards of the four-year institutions of higher education may enter into agreements with comparable public institutions to exchange undergraduate upper division students for one year.  The institutions are not authorized to enter into agreements with consortiums.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Tim Washburn, Steve Garcia and William Hodge, University of Washington.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The quality of a student's educational experience depends on the breadth of that experience. Exchange programs with out-of-state colleges provide participating students with unique opportunities to live and study in other states. Having students from other states attend Washington institutions provides Washington students with opportunities to see how people from other regions of the country view the world.  The University of Washington is interested in implementing a minority exchange program.  Granting institutions this authority would facilitate exchanges with other institutions with high minority populations.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Yeas 98