SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5678

BYSenators Fleming, Patterson, Gaspard, Bauer, Tanner, Zimmerman and Bailey

Authorizing nonresident fees to be waived for deaf students at community colleges.

Senate Committee on Education

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 26, 1987

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Gaspard, Chairman; Bauer, Vice Chairman; Rinehart, Vice Chairman; Bailey, Craswell, Saling, Smitherman, Warnke.

Senate Staff:Judy McNickle (786-7423)

                  April 15, 1987

AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 10, 1987

BACKGROUND:

The Regional Education Program for Deaf Students was established in 1969 to provide hearing impaired students equal access to college level educational programs.  Based at Seattle Central Community College, the Program for Deaf Students is funded through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education and has served more than 1000 students from 35 states and six foreign countries.

Deaf students begin the program by completing a one-quarter, self-contained preparatory program which provides them an opportunity to improve their academic skills and begin career exploration.  Then they are eligible to enroll in any of the more than 120 vocational/technical programs, academic/college transfer programs or specialized educational classes offered by the Seattle Community District on its three campuses.  To complement their enrollment in regular (or mainstream) classes, deaf students are provided with specialized support services, including interpreting, note-taking, tutoring, counseling, academic advising and audiological services.

Students pay tuition to cover their educational costs and federal funds are provided to cover the support services.

The regional program annually serves about 120 students, some of whom have multiple handicaps.  Between 40 and 55 students come from out of state and are required to pay an additional $2,055 in nonresident tuition and fees.  Many of these students receive complete or partial subsidy from their home states or the federal government. Seattle program managers claim that the dramatic increase in nonresident tuition rates in Washington in recent years has made human service counselors in other states reluctant to subsidize their students' entry into the program, which has caused a reduction in the number of students enrolled.  If that number continues to decline, the program may lose its annual federal subsidy of more than $598,000, a loss which would force the state to either absorb those costs or close the program.

SUMMARY:

Community college boards of trustees are permitted to waive the nonresident portion of tuition and fees for students enrolled in the regional education programs for deaf students as long as federal funding of the program continues.

Fiscal Note:      requested

Senate Committee - Testified: Dr. Ron Lafayette, Seattle Community College District; Larry Petersen, President, Washington State Association of the Deaf; Judy Husted, interpreter

HOUSE AMENDMENT:

The first 32 waivers will be subtracted from the community college system's discretionary waiver authorization, which amounts to 1/4 of 3 percent of an amount determined by estimating the total collections from tuition and services and activities fees had no such waivers been made and deducting the portion of that total amount which is attributable to the difference between resident and nonresident fees; any additional waivers will be subtracted from the Seattle Community College District's discretionary waiver authorization.