H-1958

AN ACT Relating to tribally controlled colleges; amending RCW 28B.10.802, 28B.12.030, 28B.102.020, and 28B.108.010; and reenacting and amending RCW 28B.104.020.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28B.10.802 and 1989 c 254 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in RCW 28B.10.800 through 28B.10.824:

(1) "Institutions of higher education" shall mean (1) any public university, college, community college, or vocational-technical institute operated by the state of Washington or any political subdivision thereof or any tribally controlled college under P.L. 95-471 established by a Washington state Indian tribe and approved to administer federal title IV financial aid or (2) any other university, college, school, or institute in the state of Washington offering instruction beyond the high school level which is a member institution of an accrediting association recognized by rule of the board for the purposes of this section: PROVIDED, That any institution, branch, extension or facility operating within the state of Washington which is affiliated with an institution operating in another state must be a separately accredited member institution of any such accrediting association: PROVIDED FURTHER, That no institution of higher education shall be eligible to participate in a student financial aid program unless it agrees to and complies with program rules and regulations adopted pursuant to RCW 28B.10.822.

(2) The term "financial aid" shall mean loans and/or grants to needy students enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a student at institutions of higher education.

(3) The term "needy student" shall mean a post high school student of an institution of higher learning as defined in subsection (1) of this section who demonstrates to the board the financial inability, either through the student's parents, family and/or personally, to meet the total cost of board, room, books, and tuition and incidental fees for any semester or quarter.

(4) The term "disadvantaged student" shall mean a post high school student who by reason of adverse cultural, educational, environmental, experiential, familial or other circumstances is unable to qualify for enrollment as a full time student in an institution of higher learning, who would otherwise qualify as a needy student, and who is attending an institution of higher learning under an established program designed to qualify the student for enrollment as a full time student.

(5) "Commission" or "board" shall mean the higher education coordinating board.

Sec. 2. RCW 28B.12.030 and 1974 ex.s. c 177 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context shall clearly indicate another or different meaning or intent:

(1) The term "needy student" shall mean a student enrolled or accepted for enrollment at a post-secondary institution who, according to a system of need analysis approved by the commission on higher education, demonstrates a financial inability, either parental, familial, or personal, to bear the total cost of education for any semester or quarter.

(2) The term "eligible institution" shall mean any post-secondary institution in this state accredited by the Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools or any public vocational-technical school in the state or any tribally controlled college under P.L. 95-471 established by a Washington state Indian tribe and approved to administer federal title IV financial aid.

Sec. 3. RCW 28B.102.020 and 1987 c 437 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Conditional scholarship" means a loan that is forgiven in whole or in part if the recipient renders service as a teacher in the public schools of this state.

(2) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a college or university in the state of Washington which is accredited by an accrediting association recognized as such by rule of the higher education coordinating board or any tribally controlled college under P.L. 95-471 established by a Washington state Indian tribe and approved to administer federal title IV financial aid.

(3) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.

(4) "Eligible student" means a student who is registered for at least ten credit hours or the equivalent, demonstrates achievement of at least a 3.30 grade point average for students entering an institution of higher education directly from high school or maintains at least a 3.00 grade point average or the equivalent for each academic year in an institution of higher education, is a resident student as defined by RCW 28B.15.012 through 28B.15.015, and has a declared intention to complete an approved preparation program leading to initial teacher certification or required for earning an additional endorsement, or a college or university graduate who meets the same credit hour requirements and is seeking an additional teaching endorsement or initial teacher certification.

(5) "Public school" means an elementary school, a middle school, junior high school, or high school within the public school system referred to in Article IX of the state Constitution.

(6) "Forgiven" or "to forgive" or "forgiveness" means to render service as a teacher at a public school in the state of Washington in lieu of monetary repayment.

(7) "Satisfied" means paid-in-full.

(8) "Participant" means an eligible student who has received a conditional scholarship under this chapter.

(9) "Targeted ethnic minority" means a group of Americans with a common ethnic or racial heritage selected by the board for program consideration due to societal concerns such as high dropout rates or low rates of college participation by members of the group.

Sec. 4. RCW 28B.104.020 and 1989 1st ex.s. c 9 s 206 and 1989 c 115 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Conditional scholarship" means a loan that is forgiven in whole or in part if the recipient renders nursing service as a nurse serving in a nurse shortage area, as defined by the state department of health.

(2) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a community college, vocational-technical school, college, or university in the state of Washington which is accredited by an accrediting association recognized as such by rule of the higher education coordinating board or any tribally controlled college under P.L. 95-471 established by a Washington state Indian tribe and approved to administer federal title IV financial aid.

(3) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.

(4) "Eligible student" means a student who has been accepted into a program leading to eligibility for licensure as a licensed practical nurse, or to a program leading to an associate, baccalaureate, or higher degree in nursing or continues satisfactory progress within the program; and has a declared intention to serve in a nurse shortage area upon completion of the educational program.

(5) "Nurse shortage area" means those areas where nurses are in short supply as a result of geographic maldistribution; or specialty areas of nursing, such as geriatrics or critical care, where vacancies exist in serious numbers that jeopardize patient care and pose a threat to the public health and safety. The state department of health shall determine nurse shortage areas in the state guided by federal standards of "health manpower shortage areas."

(6) "Forgiven" or "to forgive" or "forgiveness" means to render nursing service in a nurse shortage area in the state of Washington in lieu of monetary repayment.

(7) "Satisfied" means paid-in-full.

(8) "Participant" means an eligible student who has received a conditional scholarship under this chapter.

Sec. 5. RCW 28B.108.010 and 1990 c 287 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a college or university in the state of Washington which is accredited by an accrediting association recognized as such by rule of the higher education coordinating board or any tribally controlled college under P.L. 95-471 established by a Washington state Indian tribe and approved to administer federal title IV financial aid.

(2) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.

(3) "Eligible student" or "student" means an American Indian student as defined by the board in consultation with the advisory committee described in RCW 28B.108.030, who is a financially needy student, as defined in RCW 28B.10.802, who is a resident student, as defined by RCW 28B.15.012(2), who is a full-time student at an institution of higher education, and who promises to use his or her education to benefit other American Indians.