BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to the state educational trust fund; and amending RCW 28B.10.821 and 28B.15.762.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28B.10.821 and 1991 sp.s. c 13 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

The state educational ((~~grant account~~)) trust fund is hereby established in the state treasury. The primary purpose of the trust is to pledge state-wide available college student assistance to needy or disadvantaged students, especially middle and high school youth, considered at-risk of dropping out of secondary education who participate in board-approved early awareness and outreach programs and who enter any accredited Washington institution of postsecondary education within two years of high school graduation.

The ((~~commission~~)) board shall deposit refunds and recoveries of student financial aid funds expended in prior biennia in such account. The board may also deposit moneys that have been contributed from other state, federal, or private sources.

Expenditures from ((~~such account~~)) the fund shall be for financial aid to needy or disadvantaged students. The board may annually expend such sums from the fund as may be necessary, not to exceed three percent per year, to fulfill the purposes of this section including costs to administer aid programs supported by the fund. All earnings of investments of balances in the state educational trust fund shall be credited to the trust fund. Expenditures from the fund shall not be subject to appropriation but are subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW.

Sec. 2. RCW 28B.15.762 and 1985 c 370 s 80 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The board may make long-term loans to eligible students at institutions of higher education from the funds appropriated to the board for this purpose. The amount of any such loan shall not exceed the demonstrated financial need of the student or two thousand five hundred dollars for each academic year whichever is less, and the total amount of such loans to an eligible student shall not exceed ten thousand dollars. The interest rates and terms of deferral of such loans shall be consistent with the terms of the guaranteed loan program established by 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1701 et seq. The period for repaying the loan principal and interest shall be ten years with payments accruing quarterly commencing nine months from the date the borrower graduated. The entire principal and interest of each loan payment shall be forgiven for each payment period in which the borrower teaches science or mathematics in a public school in this state until the entire loan is satisfied or the borrower ceases to teach science or mathematics at a public school in this state. Should the borrower cease to teach science or mathematics at a public school in this state before the time in which the principal and interest on the loan are satisfied, payments on the unsatisfied portion of the principal and interest on the loan shall begin the next payment period and continue until the remainder of the loan is paid.

(2) The board is responsible for collection of loans made under subsection (1) of 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 loans under subsection (1) of 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 loans under the criteria established in subsection (1) of this section and shall maintain all necessary records of forgiven payments.

(3) Receipts from the payment of principal or interest or any other subsidies to which the board as lender is entitled, which are paid by or on behalf of borrowers under subsection (1) of this section, shall be deposited with the higher education coordinating board and shall be used to cover the costs of making the loans under subsection (1) of this section, maintaining necessary records, and making collections under subsection (2) 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 make loans to eligible students.

(4) Any funds not used to make loans, or to cover the cost of making loans or making collections, shall be placed in the state educational trust fund for needy or disadvantaged students.

(5) The board shall adopt necessary rules to implement this section.