FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 2543

C 232 L 20

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Ensuring eligible veterans and their dependents qualify for in-state residency.

Sponsors: House Committee on College & Workforce Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Paul, Dufault, Kilduff, Leavitt, Peterson, Graham, Smith, Davis, Volz and Ormsby).

House Committee on College & Workforce Development

Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

Public higher education institutions use state residency to determine whether a student will be required to pay in-state or out-of-state tuition. Residency typically requires that a financially independent student establish a Washington domicile for one year before the first day of registration for a purpose other than educational. However, residency is also granted to other categories of students, including active duty military, National Guard members, and veterans, in addition to their spouses and dependents who meet certain requirements. For example, this includes students who:

• are active duty military and National Guard members;

• have separated from the uniformed services with any period of honorable service after at least 90 days of active duty service, are eligible for veteran education benefits, and enter a higher education institution in Washington within three years of their date of separation from the uniformed services;

• are entitled to veteran education benefits based on their relationship as a spouse, former spouse, or dependent to an individual who has separated from the uniformed services with any period of honorable service after at least 90 days of active duty service, and enter a higher education institution in Washington within three years of the service member's date of separation from the uniformed services; and

• are entitled to transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits based on their relationship as a spouse, former spouse, or child to an individual who is on active duty in the uniformed services.

Summary:

Eligibility for in-state residency is expanded to the following categories of individuals:

• students on terminal, separation, or transition leave pending separation, or release from active duty, from the uniformed services with any period of honorable service after at least 90 days of active duty service and are eligible for veteran education benefits;

• students who are the spouse or child of an individual who has separated from the uniformed services with at least 10 years of honorable service and at least 90 days of active duty service, and who enter an institution of higher education in Washington within three years of the service member's date of separation;

• students who are eligible for, not just entitled to, transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits based on the student's relationship as a spouse, former spouse, or child to an individual who is on active duty in the uniformed services;

• students who are the spouse or dependent of active duty military stationed in the state and who are accepted to a higher education institution before the military member is reassigned out-of-state, as long as the spouse or dependent enrolls for the term in which they were accepted;

• students who are the spouse or dependent of active duty military residing in Washington, but stationed in an Oregon border county who are accepted to a higher education institution before the military member is reassigned out-of-state, as long as the spouse or dependent enrolls for the term in which they were accepted; and

• students who are separated from the uniformed services who were discharged due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In addition, the residency statute is restructured for those categories of students who are active duty military and National Guard members and their spouses and dependents.

Votes on Final Passage: