FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 1021

                                  C 305 L 87

BYRepresentatives Wineberry, Allen, Locke, Silver, Jacobsen, Heavey, Grimm, Niemi, Holland, Appelwick, Unsoeld, Braddock, Bristow, McMullen and Winsley

Establishing the Washington state and employers' higher educational opportunities program.

House Committe on Higher Education

Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations

Senate Committee on Education

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

The Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board reports that of all student groups, single heads of households have the greatest unmet financial need because nearly all financial aid programs fail to consider the added expenses and special needs of this group.  None of the programs fully compensates for increased maintenance costs and special daycare expenses single parents must incur in order to attend school.  Most programs award single students without children the same maximum amounts as those awarded to single parents, though expenses incurred by the latter are significantly greater.  The legislature, in the 1985-87 biennial budget, directed the HEC Board to redirect some of the state funds for financial aid to this group.

The Temporary Committee on Educational Policies, Structure and Management urged the state to reassess its financial aid programs to ensure they are sufficient to meet the changing needs of Washington students.  The committee also urged the state to test financial aid programs targeted to specific student groups.

SUMMARY:

The Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board is responsible for developing a pilot program called the Washington State and Employers' Higher Education Opportunities Program.  The program is designed to provide scholarships for low income working persons and single heads of households.  Up to 24 private businesses are selected to provide socially and economically disadvantaged working persons a chance to improve their social and economic status through public higher education opportunities.  The program encourages and permits certain employees to acquire retraining for their present jobs or new training for new careers.  The program also promotes cooperation among the state, private business entities and public institutions of higher education.

The board will appoint an administrator to coordinate the pilot program and will select three businesses from each congressional district to participate.  These businesses must be located in Washington state, be privately owned, have been in operation for at least three years and employ at least 10 persons.  Businesses which already pay tuition and fee costs for their employees are required to maintain their previous financial commitment to those programs in addition to providing support for this program.

The board will select 50 employee scholarship winners based on recommendations from their employers.  Scholarship applicants must be state residents who are unrelated to their employers and who work at least 35 hours or more per week, or the equivalent.  The board will develop application procedures and guidelines for their selection and must consider at least the following factors:  age, disability, income, number of dependents, family situation, need for retraining or new training, and applicant's potential for success.  Academic qualifications are not the sole criterion, but recipients must have applied or be in the process of applying to their preferred institution.

Two types of scholarships are available; retraining awards for the equivalent of one academic year of full-time attendance and new training awards for promotion or career changes for the equivalent of two academic years of full-time attendance.  No scholarships may exceed a total of three years of part-time attendance.  A recipient must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 each quarter or semester, and is limited to receipt of one such scholarship.

To support these scholarships, the institutions will waive 50 percent of the cost of tuition and fees for the recipients if the employers provide the remaining 50 percent.

The HEC Board is required to submit a report on the scholarship program to the legislature by January 1990.  The HEC Board is allocated $20,000 for the 1987-89 biennium to administer the program, which takes effect immediately and expires on June 30, 1990.  The governor may transfer the program to another educational agency after consulting with the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 93   2

      Senate    49     0

EFFECTIVE:May 11, 1987