HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1722

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                      Higher Education

Title:  An act relating to graduate school fellowships.

Brief Description:  Creating conditional teaching fellowships.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Spanel, Jacobsen, Wood, Valle, Rasmussen, Wang and Miller; by request of Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Higher Education, February 20, 1991, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives Jacobsen, Chair; Ogden, Vice Chair; Wood, Ranking Minority Member; May, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Dellwo; Fraser; Ludwig; Miller; Prince; Sheldon; Spanel; and Van Luven. 

Staff:  Patricia Cazares (786-7071).

Background:  It is expected that by the year 2005, there will be a shortage of faculty nationwide.  If the state is to meet the challenge of this potential shortage, more students must be recruited and trained for academic service.  In order to diversify the graduate student pool for faculty positions in Washington, many of those trained will need to be minority students. 

Recent population statistics indicate that 11.4 percent of the state's total population are minorities.  A recent Office of Financial Management report on the status of minority students in Washington indicates that the minority graduate student enrollment is 7.2 percent of the total enrollment.  Meanwhile, the percentage of graduate degrees conferred on minorities is approximately 6 percent.   

A student's ability to complete his/her graduate education will depend upon several factors, including the student's academic preparedness and the student's ability to finance that education.  

Summary of Bill:  The legislation establishes a graduate fellowship program to facilitate expanding the presence of underrepresented groups among both students and faculty in Washington's higher education institutes.

The program shall be administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.  The board's powers and duties are described.  The board, along with the assistance of a screening committee, will select students to receive conditional scholarships.  The board shall also have the responsibility of establishing a planning committee.  This committee will develop criteria for screening and selection of scholarship recipients.  This criteria will emphasize scholastic excellence, leadership ability, community contributions, and an ability to act as a role model for ethnic minorities.

The board may award conditional fellowships to eligible students.  Eligibility criteria is described.  Conditional fellowships may be awarded in the amount of $10,000 plus any additional funds necessary to cover the tuition and fees, not to exceed charges established for the state's research universities.  Doctoral students are eligible for a maximum of four years, while master's students are eligible for a maximum of two years.

Recipients of the conditional scholarships must repay the fellowship with interest.  If they meet a service requirement to teach for a specified period in an institution of higher education, they may be exempted from repaying the conditional scholarship.  Master's students satisfy their requirement after three years of service.  Doctoral students satisfy their requirement after five years of service, three of which will be served in Washington state.

The terms of repayment shall be consistent with the terms of the federal guaranteed loan program.

No appropriation was requested in the bill.  However, in order for the board to award fellowships, funds would need to be appropriated in the state budget bill.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Four witnesses spoke in favor of this bill.  They pointed to the future nationwide shortage of faculty.  They stressed that Washington needs a more diverse applicant pool for faculty positions in its higher education system.  They indicated that the legislation to create graduate conditional teaching fellowships for minority students underrepresented in their fields could begin to eliminate the need for more students of color in graduate programs.  Increasing the number of faculty of color in this state could produce role models for minority students and potential students.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Ann Daley, Higher Education Coordinating Board; Dr. Herman Luhahn, Vice Provost, University of Washington; Jan Yoshurara, State Board for Community College Education; and Andrew Rodriguez, Commission on Hispanic Affairs.