AN ACT Relating to higher education; amending RCW 28B.10.808, 28B.15.600, 28B.102.060, 28B.104.060, 18.150.060, and 70.180.100; adding new sections to chapter 28B.10 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.15 RCW; creating a new section; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

"Eligible student" means a student who (1) was enrolled in a Washington college, university, community college, or vocational-technical institute on or after August 2, 1990, and (2) is unable to complete the period of enrollment or academic term in which the student was enrolled because the student was deployed either in the Persian Gulf combat zone, as designated by the president of the United States by executive order, or in another location in support of the Persian Gulf combat zone. An eligible student is required to verify his or her inability to complete an academic term through military service records, movement orders, or a certified letter signed by the student's installation personnel officer.

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

Institutions of higher education, as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, and state funded vocational-technical institutes shall provide eligible students as defined in section 1 of this act with two options. At the option of the eligible student, the institution shall either refund the total tuition and fees paid by the eligible student for the applicable academic term, or shall readmit the eligible student for one academic term under the following conditions:

(1) The eligible student shall be exempt from the payment of additional tuition and fees;

(2) No new course sections shall be created as a direct result of students receiving the waivers;

(3) Enrollment information on students receiving the waivers shall be maintained separately from other enrollment information and shall not be considered in any enrollment statistics that would affect budgetary determinations; and

(4) Institutions may apply to the legislature for a supplemental appropriation to cover the cost of serving any student who elects to exercise a reenrollment option under this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

Under rules adopted by the board, the provisions of RCW 28B.10.808 (3) shall not apply to eligible students, as defined in section 1 of this act, and eligible students shall not be required to repay the unused portions of grants received under the state student financial aid program.

Sec. 4. RCW 28B.10.808 and 1989 c 254 ' 4 are each amended to read as follows:

In awarding grants, the commission shall proceed substantially as follows: PROVIDED, That nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent the commission, in the exercise of its sound discretion, from following another procedure when the best interest of the program so dictates:

(1) The commission shall annually select the financial aid award winners from among Washington residents applying for student financial aid who have been ranked according to financial need as determined by the amount of the family contribution and other considerations brought to the commission's attention.

(2) The financial need of the highest ranked students shall be met by grants depending upon the evaluation of financial need until the total allocation has been disbursed. Funds from grants which are declined, forfeited or otherwise unused shall be reawarded until dispersed.

(3) A grant may be renewed until the course of study is completed, but not for more than an additional four academic years beyond the first year of the award. These shall not be required to be consecutive years. Qualifications for renewal will include maintaining satisfactory academic standing toward completion of the course of study, and continued eligibility as determined by the commission. Should the recipient terminate his or her enrollment for any reason during the academic year, the unused portion of the grant shall be returned to the state educational grant fund by the institution according to the institution's own policy for issuing refunds, except as provided in section 3 of this act.

(4) In computing financial need the commission shall determine a maximum student expense budget allowance, not to exceed an amount equal to the total maximum student expense budget at the public institutions plus the current average state appropriation per student for operating expense in the public institutions.

Sec. 5. RCW 28B.15.600 and 1985 c 390 s 32 are each amended to read as follows:

The boards of regents of the state's universities and the boards of trustees of the regional universities and The Evergreen State College and community colleges may refund or cancel in full the tuition and services and activities fees if the student withdraws from a university or college course or program prior to the sixth day of instruction of the quarter or semester for which said fees have been paid or are due. If the student withdraws on or after the sixth day of instruction, said boards of regents and trustees may refund or cancel up to one-half of said fees, provided such withdrawal occurs within the first thirty calendar days following the beginning of instruction. The regents or trustees of the respective universities and colleges may adopt rules for the refund of tuition and fees for courses or programs that begin after the start of the regular quarter or semester. Said boards of regents and trustees may adopt rules to comply with section 2 of this act and may extend the refund or cancellation period for students who withdraw for medical reasons or who are called into the military service of the United States.

Said boards of regents and trustees may refund other fees pursuant to such rules as they may prescribe.

Sec. 6. RCW 28B.102.060 and 1987 c 437 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Participants in the conditional scholarship program incur an obligation to repay the conditional scholarship, with interest, unless they teach for ten years in the public schools of the state of Washington, under rules adopted by the board.

(2) The terms of the repayment, including deferral of the interest, shall be consistent with the terms of the federal guaranteed loan program.

(3) The period for repayment shall be ten years, with payments accruing quarterly commencing nine months from the date the participant completes or discontinues the course of study.

(4) The entire principal and interest of each payment shall be forgiven for each payment period in which the participant teaches in a public school until the entire repayment obligation is satisfied or the borrower ceases to teach at a public school in this state. Should the participant cease to teach at a public school in this state before the participant's repayment obligation is completed, payments on the unsatisfied portion of the principal and interest shall begin the next payment period and continue until the remainder of the participant's repayment obligation is satisfied.

(5) The board is responsible for collection of repayments made under this section and shall exercise due diligence in such collection, maintaining all necessary records to insure that maximum repayments are made. Collection and servicing of repayments under this section shall be pursued using the full extent of the law, including wage garnishment if necessary, and shall be performed by entities approved for such servicing by the Washington student loan guaranty association or its successor agency. The board is responsible to forgive all or parts of such repayments under the criteria established in this section and shall maintain all necessary records of forgiven payments.

(6) Receipts from the payment of principal or interest or any other subsidies to which the board as administrator is entitled, which are paid by or on behalf of participants under this section, shall be deposited with the higher education coordinating board and shall be used to cover the costs of granting the conditional scholarships, maintaining necessary records, and making collections under subsection (5) of this section. The board shall maintain accurate records of these costs, and all receipts beyond those necessary to pay such costs shall be used to grant conditional scholarships to eligible students.

(7) The board shall temporarily or, in special circumstances, permanently defer the requirements of this section for eligible students as defined in section 1 of this act.

Sec. 7. RCW 28B.104.060 and 1988 c 242 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Participants in the conditional scholarship program incur an obligation to repay the conditional scholarship, with interest, unless they serve for five years in nurse shortage areas of the state of Washington. Nurse shortage areas may include geographical areas as a result of maldistribution, or specialty areas of nursing such as gerontology, critical care, or coronary care.

(2) The terms of the repayment, including deferral of the interest, shall be consistent with the terms of the federal guaranteed loan program.

(3) The period for repayment shall be five years, with payments accruing quarterly commencing nine months from the date the participant completes or discontinues the course of study.

(4) The entire principal and interest of each payment shall be forgiven for each payment period in which the participant serves in a nurse shortage area, as determined by the state health coordinating council, until the entire repayment obligation is satisfied or the borrower ceases to so serve. Should the participant cease to serve in this state before the participant's repayment obligation is completed, payments on the unsatisfied portion of the principal and interest shall begin the next payment period and continue until the remainder of the participant's repayment obligation is satisfied.

(5) The board is responsible for collection of repayments made under this section and shall exercise due diligence in such collection, maintaining all necessary records to ensure that maximum repayments are made. Collection and servicing of repayments under this section shall be pursued using the full extent of the law, including wage garnishment if necessary, and shall be performed by entities approved for such servicing by the Washington student loan guaranty association or its successor agency. The board is responsible to forgive all or parts of such repayments under the criteria established in this section and shall maintain all necessary records of forgiven payments.

(7) The board shall temporarily or, in special circumstances, permanently defer the requirements of this section for eligible students as defined in section 1 of this act.

Sec. 8. RCW 18.150.060 and 1989 1st ex.s. c 9 s 721 are each amended to read as follows:

Participants in the health professional loan repayment program shall receive payment from the program for the purpose of repaying educational loans secured while attending a program of health professional training which led to licensure as a licensed health professional in the state of Washington.

(1) Participants shall agree to serve at least three years in a designated health professional shortage area.

(2) In providing health care services the participant shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of the person's ability to pay for such services or because payment for the health care services provided to such persons will be made under the insurance program established under part A or B of Title XVIII of the federal social security act or under a state plan for medical assistance approved under Title XIX of the federal social security act and agrees to accept assignment under section 18.42(b)(3)(B)(ii) of such act for all services for which payment may be made under part B of Title XVIII and enters into an appropriate agreement with the department of social and health services for medical assistance under Title XIX to provide services to individuals entitled to medical assistance under the plan. Participants found by the board in violation of this section shall be declared ineligible for receiving assistance under the program authorized by this chapter.

(3) Repayment shall be limited to reasonable educational and living expenses as determined by the board and shall include principal and interest.

(4) Loans from both government and private sources may be repaid by the program. Participants shall agree to allow the board access to loan records and to acquire information from lenders necessary to verify eligibility and to determine payments. Loans may not be renegotiated with lenders to accelerate repayment.

(5) Repayment of loans established pursuant to this program shall begin no later than ninety days after the individual has become a participant. Payments shall be made quarterly, or more frequently if deemed appropriate by the board, to the participant until the loan is repaid or the participant becomes ineligible due to discontinued service in a health professional shortage area or after the fifth year of services when eligibility discontinues, whichever comes first.

(6) Should the participant discontinue service in a health professional shortage area payments against the loans of the participants shall cease to be effective on the date that the participant discontinues service.

(7) Except for circumstances beyond their control, participants who serve less than three years shall be obligated to repay to the program an amount equal to twice the total amount paid by the program on their behalf in addition to any payments on the unsatisfied portion of the principal and interest. The board shall determine the applicability of this subsection.

(8) The board is responsible for the collection of payments made on behalf of participants from the participants who discontinue service before their three-year obligation. The board shall exercise due diligence in such collection, maintaining all necessary records to ensure that the maximum amount of payment made on behalf of the participant is recovered. Collection under this section shall be pursued using the full extent of the law, including wage garnishment if necessary.

(9) The board shall not be held responsible for any outstanding payments on principal and interest to any lenders once a participant's eligibility expires.

(10) The board shall temporarily or, in special circumstances, permanently defer the requirements of this section for eligible students as defined in section 1 of this act.

Sec. 9. RCW 70.180.100 and 1990 c 271 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Participants in the program incur an obligation to repay the scholarship, with interest set by state law, unless they serve for five years in rural areas, pharmacist shortage areas, or midwife shortage areas of the state of Washington.

(2) The terms of the repayment, including deferral of the interest, shall be consistent with the terms of the federal guaranteed loan program.

(3) The period for repayment shall be three years, with payments accruing quarterly commencing nine months from the date the participant completes or discontinues the course of study or completes or discontinues the required residency.

(4) The entire principal and interest of each payment shall be forgiven for each payment period in which the participant serves in a rural area, pharmacist shortage area, or midwife shortage area until the entire repayment obligation is satisfied or the borrower ceases to so serve. Should the participant cease to serve in a rural area, pharmacist shortage area, or midwife shortage area of this state before the participant's repayment obligation is completed, payments on the unsatisfied portion of the principal and interest shall begin the next payment period and continue until the remainder of the participant's repayment obligation is satisfied. Except for circumstances beyond their control, participants who serve less than five years shall be obliged to repay to the program an amount equal to twice the total amount paid by the program on their behalf in addition to the unsatisfied portion of principal and interest required by this section.

(6) Receipts from the payment of principal or interest or any other subsidies to which the board as administrator is entitled, which are paid by or on behalf of participants under this section, shall be deposited with the board and shall be used to cover the costs of granting the scholarships, maintaining necessary records, and making collections under subsection (5) of this section. The board shall maintain accurate records of these costs, and all receipts beyond those necessary to pay such costs shall be used to grant scholarships to eligible students.

(7) Sponsoring communities who financially contribute to the eligible financial expenses of eligible medical students may enter into agreements with the student to require repayment should the student not serve the minimum of five years in the community as a primary care physician. The board may develop criteria for the content of such agreements with respect to reasonable provisions and obligations between communities and eligible students.

(8) The board may make exceptions to the conditions for participation and repayment obligations should circumstances beyond the control of individual participants warrant such exceptions. The board shall temporarily or, in special circumstances, permanently defer the requirements of this section for eligible students as defined in section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. Private vocational schools and private higher education institutions are encouraged to provide students deployed to the Persian Gulf with the choice of tuition refunds or one free term, as provided under sections 1 and 2 of this act for public higher education institutions.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. Section 2 of this act shall expire June 30, 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.