BILL REQ. #:  H-4052.1 

Read first time 01/21/2004.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to establishing a tuition and fees payment plan at colleges and universities; adding a new section to chapter 28B.15 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that recent tuition increases have made avoiding indebtedness while attending colleges and universities much more difficult. The legislature also finds that some colleges and universities have imposed stringent tuition and fee due date policies, ignoring situations that may arise in the lives of students, which impact their ability to make timely tuition payments. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature that students be given every reasonable opportunity to avoid debt and make timely tuition payments, including exempting certain students from tuition and fee due dates for a reasonable amount of time to allow payments to be made throughout the academic term.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28B.15 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning with the fall 2004 academic term, colleges and universities shall establish and make available an optional payment plan to allow students to pay all tuition and fees throughout the term in approximately equal monthly payments.
     (2) Any degree-earning student shall be allowed to enroll in the payment plan, except students receiving financial aid or scholarships that cover the full cost of tuition and fees.
     (3) Colleges and universities may impose an administrative fee to help defray administrative costs associated with the payment plan, not to exceed one-half of one percent of total tuition and fees due.
     (4) Enrollment in the payment plan shall exempt the student from specific lump sum payment due dates of tuition and fees of colleges and universities, and any corresponding penalties or surcharges.
     (5) Colleges and universities may disenroll a student from the payment plan for delinquency of two or more payments.
     (6) Colleges and universities shall make available specific information regarding the availability of the payment plan to all eligible students.
     (7) Colleges and universities shall establish an enrollment deadline that does not precede the due date of tuition and fees for the current term.