Brief Description: Changing tuition waivers for families of fallen veterans and national guard members.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Hewitt, Pflug, Honeyford, Swecker, Morton, Stevens, Parlette, Delvin, McCaslin, Schoesler and Sheldon).

Senate Committee on Higher Education
House Committee on Higher Education

Background: Currently, higher education institutions are permitted to reduce all or a portion of tuition for certain types of students and for various purposes, including a child and/or the surviving spouse of an eligible military veteran or National Guard member who lost his or her life or became totally disabled, is a prisoner of war, or became missing in action while engaged in active federal military or naval service. Eligible veteran or National Guard members are those that are Washington domiciliaries.

The federal Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program provides funds for education and training to eligible dependents of certain veterans, including veterans who, in the line of duty, died, are permanently and totally disabled, are missing in action, or captured.

Summary: Higher education institutions may continue to reduce all or a portion of tuition for military or naval veterans who did not serve on foreign soils or in international waters. State higher education institutions must waive all tuition and fees for the children and spouses of eligible veterans or National Guard members who died, are permanently and totally disabled, are missing in action, or are prisoners of war. To be eligible, a child must be a Washington domicilary between the age of 17 and 26. A surviving spouse, to be eligible, must be a Washington domiciliary, must not have remarried, and it must have been 10 years or less since the loss. Each recipient's continued eligibility is subject to the school's satisfactory progress policy.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      48   0
House      98   0   (House amended)
Senate      47   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective:   July 22, 2007