AN ACT Relating to the
future teachers conditional scholarship; amending RCW 28B.102.020 and
28B.102.060; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.102.020 and 1993
sp.s. c 18 s 36 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)) an
approved education program in 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.
(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 and 28B.15.013, 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. Resident students defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2)(e) are not
eligible students under this chapter.
(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 an approved
education program 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.
(10) "Approved
education program" means an education program in the state of Washington
for knowledge and skills generally learned in preschool through twelfth grade.
Approved education programs may include but are not limited to:
(a) K-12 schools
under Title 28A RCW;
(b) Early childhood
education and assistance programs under RCW 28A.215.100 through 28A.215.200 or
the federal head start program;
(c) An approved
school under chapter 28A.195 RCW;
(d) Education
centers under chapter 28A.205 RCW;
(e) English as a
second language programs and programs leading to high school graduation or the
equivalency operated by community or technical colleges; and
(f) Tribal schools
in Washington approved by the federal bureau of Indian affairs.
Sec. 2. RCW 28B.102.060 and 1993
c 423 s 1 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)) two
years in ((the public schools of the state of Washington)) an
approved education program for each year of scholarship received, under
rules adopted by the board.
(2) The interest rate
shall be eight percent for the first four years of repayment and ten percent beginning
with the fifth year of repayment.
(3) The period for
repayment shall be ten years, with payments of principal and interest accruing
quarterly commencing nine months from the date the participant completes or
discontinues the course of study. Provisions for deferral of payment shall be
determined by the board.
(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)) an
approved education program 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 an
approved education program 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 RCW 28B.10.017.
(8) The board may
cancel a recipient's repayment obligation due to the recipient's total and
permanent disability or death, subject to documentation as required by the
board.
(9) This section
applies to recipients of conditional scholarships awarded before or after July
1, 1996.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. This act shall take
effect July 1, 1996.
