BILL REQ. #: S-2030.1

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SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5759
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State of Washington

59th Legislature

2005 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Weinstein, Schmidt, Prentice, McAuliffe, Rockefeller, Rasmussen and Berkey)

READ FIRST TIME 02/25/05.

AN ACT Relating to improving educational opportunities for low-income students; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature finds that more than forty percent of children from high-income families received a bachelor's degree or higher within five years of high school graduation, compared with only six percent of those in the lowest income group. Opening educational opportunities for these students can address and correct this disparity. Effective mentoring programs, along with financial assistance, prepare these low-income students to succeed and achieve their educational goals.
(2) In order to broaden higher education opportunities, to the extent funds are specifically appropriated for this purpose, the legislature supports the Washington state achievers' scholarship program. This program: (a) Provides mentoring to ensure academic support is available to students while in high school, encourages college enrollment, and gives assistance when enrolled in college; (b) identifies and reduces financial barriers to college for talented, low- income students; and (c) leverages private funding for higher education financial assistance.

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