FINAL BILL REPORT

                 EHB 1647

                         C 433 L 97

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Establishing a home tuition program.

Sponsors:  Representatives Radcliff, Van Luven, Mason, Carlson, Veloria, Morris, Ogden, Kenney and Costa.

House Committee on Higher Education

Senate Committee on Higher Education

Background:  Washington=s baccalaureate institutions may enter into reciprocity agreements with colleges and universities in other states.  Under the agreements, the institutions may exchange undergraduate students.  The exchange students pay the resident tuition rate at the college or university they are attending for that year.  In any year, the number of students coming to a Washington institution must be balanced by an equal number of Washington students attending participating institutions in another state.  By law, Washington=s baccalaureate institutions may waive all or part of the non-resident differential for students participating in this program.  Students may receive the waiver for a maximum of one year. 

Washington=s baccalaureate institutions may also waive all or a portion of tuition and fees for a limited number of international students.  In any year, waivers are limited to 100 students at each of the research universities and 20 students at each of the comprehensive universities and The Evergreen State College.  The institutions must give a priority to international students participating in academic exchange programs sponsored by recognized international education organizations.  The number of waivers granted by any institution must not exceed the number of that institution=s students who enrolled in approved study-abroad programs during the same time period.

Summary:  The program that permits baccalaureate institutions to waive the non-resident tuition differential for students participating in exchange agreements with colleges and universities in other states is revised.  The baccalaureate institutions may establish home-tuition agreements with institutions of higher education or institutional consortiums outside the state.  Through the agreements, students from Washington=s baccalaureate institutions will exchange places with students from participating institutions for a maximum of one year.  Participating students will pay the resident tuition and fee rates at either their home institution or at the out-of-state institution they are attending.  The tuition and fee rate will be determined by the agreement.  Students participating in home tuition programs must reside in the state during their year in the program.  In addition, they may not use their year to establish residency and they are not eligible for state funded financial aid.

Home tuition agreements cannot result in either uncompensated costs to instructional programs or loss of tuition and fee revenue to participating institutions of higher education. The program will no longer be a tuition waver program.  Nonresident students participating in this program will be defined as resident students for the purpose of determining tuition and fee rates.  

Votes on Final Passage:

House  97 0

Senate 36 0 (Senate amended)

House  92 0 (House concurred)

Effective:July 27,  1997