H-4088.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2304

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives Carlson, Jacobsen, Goldsmith and Mulliken

Read first time 01/09/96.  Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

Limiting eligibility of dependent students for state need grants.

     AN ACT Relating to financial aid; amending RCW 28B.10.802; and adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW.

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:

     A dependent student, as defined by the board consistent with the federal definition of dependent student, shall not be eligible for a state need grant until the student has obtained a minimum of twelve college or university credits or their equivalent.

     Sec. 2.  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 (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)) education as defined in subsection (1) of this section who meets the requirements of section 1 of this act and 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 meets the requirements of section 1 of this act and 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.

                                    --- END ---