HB 1454

Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS

Higher Education Committee

HB 1454

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Changing tuition waivers for families of fallen veterans and National Guard members.

Sponsors: Representatives Haler, McDonald, Hankins, Strow, McCune, Rodne, Ormsby, Green, Haigh, Ericks, O'Brien, Dunn and Campbell.

Brief Summary of Bill

Changes college tuition waivers for families of eligible veterans and National Guard members to make waivers mandatory for certain children and spouses of veterans.

Tuition waivers for children and spouses do not apply to the waiver limits established for the institutions.

Hearing Date: 1/29/07

Staff: Andrew Colvin (786-7304).

Background:

Within certain limits, institutions may waive all or a portion of tuition and fees for eligible students. For these waivers, known as state-supported waivers, it is assumed that state moneys in the institutions' budgets will offset the tuition not collected from students as a result of granting the waivers. This authority to grant state-supported waivers is capped for each institution at a certain percentage of the total tuition revenue the institution collects. Within its respective percentage caps, each institution decides how to apportion its waiver authority among the various categories of state-supported permissive waivers.

Eligible veterans and National Guard members: Eligible veterans and National Guard members means:

Washington residents who are, or were, active duty or reserve military members or National Guard members;
called to active federal service in a war or conflict fought on foreign soil or in international waters, or in support of others serving on foreign soil or in international waters; and
veterans and National Guard members who have been discharged from active federal service must have received an honorable discharge in order to be eligible for a waiver.

Waivers based upon veteran status: Within state-supported waiver authority, institutions of higher education may waive all or a portion of tuition and fees for:

an eligible veteran or National Guard member;
the child or spouse of an eligible veteran or National Guard member who was totally disabled in the line of duty, or who is listed as missing in action or a prisoner of war; and
the surviving child or spouse of an eligible veteran or National Guard member killed in the line of duty. Upon remarriage, however, the surviving spouse no longer is eligible for a waiver.

Summary of Bill:

The waivers for a child and spouse are made mandatory, conditions are specified for eligibility, and the conditions apply the same whether the eligible veteran was totally disabled, MIA/POW, or killed. To qualify for a tuition waiver, the following conditions apply:

for both a child and spouse the individual receiving the waiver must be a Washington resident;
a child must be between 17 and 26 years old. Marital status does not affect eligibility. A child must also meet the school's satisfactory progress policy to remain eligible for the waiver; and
for a spouse, there is a ten-year time limit to receive the tuition waiver. The ten years is measured from the date of the veteran's death, disability, or federal determination of prisoner of war or missing in action status. Also, a spouse becomes ineligible for the tuition waiver upon remarriage.

Tuition and fees waived for children and surviving spouses of eligible veterans do not apply to the limits placed on institutions with respect to operating fees revenue.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 28, 2007.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.