S-1725.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5897
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Senators Jacobsen and Finkbeiner
Read first time 02/18/97. Referred to Committee on Higher Education.
AN ACT Relating to financial aid; and amending RCW 28B.10.808.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.10.808 and 1991 c 164 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
In
awarding grants, the commission shall proceed substantially as follows: ((PROVIDED,
That nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent the commission, in
the exercise of its sound discretion, from following another procedure when the
best interest of the program so dictates:))
(1) The commission shall annually select the financial aid award winners from among Washington residents applying for student financial aid who have been ranked according to financial need as determined by the amount of the family contribution and other considerations brought to the commission's attention.
(2) The financial need of the highest ranked students shall be met by grants depending upon the evaluation of financial need until the total allocation has been disbursed. Funds from grants which are declined, forfeited or otherwise unused shall be reawarded until dispersed.
(3) A grant may be renewed until the course of study is completed, but not for more than an additional four academic years beyond the first year of the award. These shall not be required to be consecutive years. Qualifications for renewal will include maintaining satisfactory academic standing toward completion of the course of study, and continued eligibility as determined by the commission. Should the recipient terminate his or her enrollment for any reason during the academic year, the unused portion of the grant shall be returned to the state educational grant fund by the institution according to the institution's own policy for issuing refunds, except as provided in RCW 28B.10.8081.
(4) In computing financial need the commission shall determine a maximum student expense budget allowance, not to exceed an amount equal to the total maximum student expense budget at the public institutions plus the current average state appropriation per student for operating expense in the public institutions.
(5) To the extent funds are available, the award shall be provided to persons with incomes that do not exceed sixty percent of the median family income. The amount of the need grant shall cover the cost of tuition at the institution of higher education the student attends, but shall not exceed the undergraduate resident tuition charged at the state research institutions.
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