Brief Description: Creating the Washington college bound scholarship program.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Rockefeller, Keiser, Weinstein, Fairley, Marr, Murray, Kastama, Kohl-Welles, Rasmussen, McAuliffe, Kauffman, Kilmer, Tom and Shin).

Senate Committee on Higher Education
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
House Committee on Higher Education
House Committee on Appropriations

Background: The Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program offers families a simple and affordable way to save for future college expenses. Parents, grandparents, and friends can prepay for college tuition by investing in tuition units today. The state of Washington guarantees that 100 GET units will cover one year of tuition and state-mandated fees at the most expensive public university in Washington. Current, state need-based tuition programs include: the State Need Grant program; the State Work Study program; the American Indian Endowed Scholarship program; and the Foster Care Endowed Scholarship.

Summary: The Washington College Bound Scholarship is created. Eligible students are students who are eligible for free- or reduced-price lunch. Eligible students are notified of their eligibility for the scholarship in 7th grade. Home schooled students are also eligible for the scholarship program. To be awarded the scholarship an eligible student must pledge, during their 7th or 8th grade years, that they will: (1) graduate from high school; (2) graduate with a C average; and (3) not have any felony convictions. To receive the scholarship, the student must have kept the pledge, must have a family income at high school graduation below 65 percent of the state median, and must be a resident student.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction notifies elementary, middle, and junior high schools about the program, and school districts notify students, parents, teachers, counselors, and principals. In addition, the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) develops and distributes the pledge forms, tracks scholarship recipients, and distributes scholarship funds.

The scholarship is equal to the difference between the cost of the student's tuition and fees at a public college or university, plus $500 for books and materials minus the value of any other state financial aid received for those items. The HECB may purchase GET units to award as part of the scholarship. The maximum award is for four years. An eligible student's family income is assessed upon graduation and if the family income exceeds 50 percent of the median family income, but does not exceed 100 percent of the state median family income, the student receives a prorated scholarship. The first scholarships are awarded to students graduating in 2012.

The award does not supplant other grants, scholarships or tax programs. If the scholarship is not used within five years it reverts back to the account to be used for scholarships for other students.

Grants or gifts may be accepted by HECB in addition to state funding. HECB has rulemaking authority to implement the program.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      46   0
House      78   20   (House amended)
Senate      45   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective:   July 22, 2007