Declares that access to higher education is of paramount importance to the citizens of the state of Washington. However, the legislature further declares that the following three factors are creating barriers to access for students: (1) Tuition increases have varied dramatically over the last decade, making the cost of postsecondary attendance unpredictable for students and families;

(2) There are at least thirty separate state and federal programs providing direct financial aid or tax benefits to individuals seeking postsecondary education, in addition to institutional aid, private scholarships, and other programs. The system is complicated and difficult to understand, with the unfortunate effect of discouraging some low-income students from even applying to college. Additionally, some students are not able to access enough financial assistance to make postsecondary education affordable; and

(3) Students frequently must repeat college-level coursework when transferring from one institution of higher education to another.

Declares an intent through implementing of a complementary and coordinated set of policies around tuition, financial aid, and student transitions, to make access to higher education a top priority.