1244-S.E AMS ZARE YOWE 020

ESHB 1244 - S AMD 537

By Senator Zarelli

NOT ADOPTED 4/25/2009

On page 169, line 20, increase the budgeted enrollment target for the University of Washington by 1,175 full-time equivalent (FTE) students for each year of the biennium, and adjust the totals accordingly.

On page 169, line 22, increase the budgeted enrollment target for Central Washington University by 293 FTE students for each year of the biennium, and adjust the totals accordingly.

On page 169, line 23, increase the budgeted enrollment target for Eastern Washington University by 125 FTE students for each year of the biennium and adjust the totals accordingly.

On page 169, line 25, increase the budgeted enrollment target for Western Washington University by 165 FTE students for each year of the biennium, and adjust the totals accordingly.

On page 264, after line 19, insert the following:

" Sec. 962. RCW 28B.10.695 and 2003 c 407 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Each four-year institution of higher education and the state board for community and technical colleges shall develop policies that ensure undergraduate students enrolled in degree or certificate programs complete their programs in a timely manner in order to make the most efficient use of instructional resources and provide capacity within the institution for additional students.

(2) Policies adopted under this section shall address, but not be limited to, undergraduate students in the following circumstances:

(a) Students who accumulate more than one hundred twenty-five percent of the number of credits required to complete their respective baccalaureate or associate degree or certificate programs;

(b) Students who drop more than twenty-five percent of their course load before the grading period for the quarter or semester, which prevents efficient use of instructional resources; and

    (3) Policies adopted under this section ((~~may~~)) shall include assessment by the institution of a surcharge in addition to regular tuition and fees to be paid by a student for continued enrollment. The amount of the surcharge shall result in a tuition fees assessment for that student equivalent to the full cost of instruction for the subsequent quarter or semester after a finding that a policy under subsection (2) of this section has been violated. The surcharge shall continue to be assessed until the institution of higher education determines that the policy is no longer being violated.
    (4) It is presumed that the surcharge shall apply to all students described in subsection (2) of this section unless the student presents to his or her registrar evidence that one or more of the following exemptions apply:
    (a) The student is a dislocated worker as defined by RCW 50.04.075 or a person engaging in a job training program under the purview of the workforce training and education coordinating board;
    (b) The student participates in the border county higher education opportunity project under RCW 28B.76.685;
    (c) The student is a certificated teacher of the K-12 school system pursuing continuing education credits according to certification requirements; or
    (d) The student has not been enrolled in an institution of higher education during the preceding five years.
    (5) Students who believe they are under extraordinary or unforeseen academic or personal circumstances or were unable to complete their baccalaureate degree program within the number of credits specified due to institutional constraints may petition the institution of higher education for a special waiver from the tuition surcharge provisions of subsection (3) of this section. The institution of higher education shall create a process through which student petitions may be fairly processed, heard, and determined. The process shall include a one hundred dollar administrative fee. The entire amount of the fee shall be refunded for those students who make a successful petition.
    (6) For the purposes of this section, "full cost of instruction" means the average instructional support in state general funds and tuition fees, as defined in RCW 28B.15.020, per full-time equivalent undergraduate at each institution of higher education for that academic year.

Sec. 963. RCW 28B.15.910 and 2008 c 188 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) For the purpose of providing state general fund support to public institutions of higher education, except for revenue waived under programs listed in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, and unless otherwise expressly provided in the omnibus state appropriations act, the total amount of operating fees revenue waived, exempted, or reduced by a state university, a regional university, The Evergreen State College, or the community colleges as a whole, shall not exceed the percentage of total gross authorized operating fees revenue in this subsection. As used in this section, "gross authorized operating fees revenue" means the estimated gross operating fees revenue as estimated under RCW 82.33.020 or as revised by the office of financial management, before granting any waivers. This limitation applies to all tuition waiver programs established before or after July 1, 1992.

(a) University of Washington ((21)) 18 percent

(b) Washington State University ((20)) 14 percent

(d) Central Washington University ((10)) 8 percent

(e) Western Washington University ((10)) 9 percent

(f) The Evergreen State College ((10)) 6 percent

(g) Community colleges as a whole ((35)) 20 percent

(2) The limitations in subsection (1) of this section apply to waivers, exemptions, or reductions in operating fees contained in the following:

(a) RCW 28B.15.014;

(b) RCW 28B.15.100;

(d) RCW 28B.15.380;

(e) RCW 28B.15.520;

(f) RCW 28B.15.526;

(g) RCW 28B.15.527;

(h) RCW 28B.15.543;

(i) RCW 28B.15.545;

(j) RCW 28B.15.555;

(k) RCW 28B.15.556;

(l) RCW 28B.15.615;

(m) RCW 28B.15.621 (2) and (4);

(n) RCW 28B.15.730;

(o) RCW 28B.15.740;

(p) RCW 28B.15.750;

(q) RCW 28B.15.756;

(r) RCW 28B.50.259; and

(s) RCW 28B.70.050.

(3) The limitations in subsection (1) of this section do not apply to waivers, exemptions, or reductions in services and activities fees contained in the following:

(a) RCW 28B.15.522;

(b) RCW 28B.15.540;

(d) RCW 28B.15.621(3).

(4) The total amount of operating fees revenue waived, exempted, or reduced by institutions of higher education participating in the western interstate commission for higher education western undergraduate exchange program under RCW 28B.15.544 shall not exceed the percentage of total gross authorized operating fees revenue in this subsection.

(a) Washington State University 1 percent

(b) Eastern Washington University 3 percent

(5) The institutions of higher education will participate in outreach activities to increase the number of veterans who receive tuition waivers. Colleges and universities shall revise the application for admissions so that all applicants shall have the opportunity to advise the institution that they are veterans who need assistance. If a person indicates on the application for admissions that the person is a veteran who is in need of assistance, then the institution of higher education shall ask the person whether they have any funds disbursed in accordance with the Montgomery GI Bill available to them. Each institution shall encourage veterans to utilize funds available to them in accordance with the Montgomery GI Bill prior to providing the veteran a tuition waiver.

Renumber the sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

EFFECT: Lowers the public higher education institutions' authority to waive tuition by approximately 10 percent below the amounts actually waived in academic year 2007-08. With certain exceptions and appeal rights provided, requires the public baccalaureate institutions to charge the full cost of instruction to students who have earned more than 125 percent of the credits required for a baccalaureate degree, who dropped more than 25 percent of their course load during the previous quarter, or who have been on academic probation for more than one quarter. Based on the additional tuition revenues available as a result of these changes, an estimated 3,900 more full-time equivalent students (FTE-S) would have access to the public higher education institutions. (Of the 3,900 FTE total, approximately 1,800 FTE-S result in higher budgeted enrollment targets at the UW, Central, Eastern, and Western. The remaining 2,100 additional FTE-S represent some of the current "over-enrollment" that would likely otherwise have been dropped at the public funding level provided in the original budget proposal.)

FISCAL IMPACT: None.

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