HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 EHB 1647

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to higher education.

Brief Description:  Establishing a home tuition program.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by  Representatives Radcliff, Van Luven, Mason, Carlson, Veloria, Morris, Ogden, Kenney and Costa).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Higher Education:  2/11/97, 2/12/97, 2/14/97 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/11/97, 97‑0.

Senate Amended.

House Concurred.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Carlson, Chairman; Radcliff, Vice Chairman; Mason, Ranking Minority Member; Kenney, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Butler; Dunn; O'Brien and Sheahan.

Staff:  Suzi Morrissey (786-7120).

Background:  Washington=s baccalaureate institutions may enter 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 of Bill:  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.  

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Washington is living in a global community.  Exchange programs which provide our state=s students with an opportunity to study outside the state while replacing them with students from another state or country benefit all students.  Exchange programs can help students develop regional business and linguistic skills, learn to problem-solve in real world situations, and take risks.  Many times these study experiences are intensely transformational for Washington students.  The program is revenue neutral and will not result in additional costs for students or taxpayers.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  John Donnelly, Washington State University (pro); David Hedrick, Central Washington University (pro); VictoriaTorres, Central Washington University (pro); and David Fenner, University of Washington (pro);