HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1417

BYRepresentatives Heavey, Doty, Jacobsen, Van Luven, Anderson, Kremen, O'Brien, Locke, Moyer, Miller, Schoon, Betrozoff, D. Sommers, Ferguson, Wineberry, P. King, Wood, R. King, Sprenkle and Basich; by request of Higher Education Coordinating Board

Establishing the educational opportunity grant program.

House Committe on Higher Education

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (12)

      Signed by Representatives Jacobsen, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Van Luven, Ranking Republican Member; Basich, Fraser, Heavey, Inslee, Jesernig, H. Myers, Prince, Rector and Wood.

House Staff:Susan Hosch (786-7120)

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (21)

      Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Grant, Vice Chair; H. Sommers, Vice Chair; Belcher, Brekke, Bristow, Brough, Dorn, Ebersole, Hine, May, McLean, Padden, Peery, Rust, Sayan, Spanel, Sprenkle, Valle, Wang and Wineberry.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (2)

      Signed by Silver, Ranking Republican Member; and Bowman.

House Staff:      Sherie Story (786-7136)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 14, 1989

BACKGROUND:

In the process of creating its Master Plan for Higher Education, the Higher Education Coordinating Board found that a substantial number of citizens living in the state's urban areas do not have access to a state-supported college or university.  For a variety of reasons, many of these citizens are unable to move to the areas where the state baccalaureate institutions are located. Included among these "placebound" citizens are students who have completed their Associate of Arts degree at a community college.

Although some of the urban areas studied by the Board had independent colleges or universities located within them, these institutions have significantly higher tuition rates than do state institutions.  In order to give a small number of students the choice of attending either an independent or state college, the University of Washington, in its "Plan to Expand Upper-Division and Graduate Programs in the Puget Sound Region" recommended the creation of a tuition voucher system. The program recommended would assist 150 juniors and seniors per year wishing to attend a state or independent institution of their choice.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board endorsed the University's recommendation.  The Board requested the introduction of legislation that would implement a pilot program for upper-division, placebound students living in the central Puget Sound or Yakima areas.

SUMMARY:

The Educational Opportunities Grant Program is created as a demonstration project.  The program will help financially needy, placebound students residing in the Puget Sound and Yakima areas complete their baccalaureate degrees.  Eligible students must be residents of the state, and must have completed the Associate of Arts degree, or its equivalent.

The program will be administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.  The Board will develop rules and guidelines for the program, and will select program participants.  Participants may attend any state or independent Washington institution of higher education that is accredited by an organization recognized by the Board.

The maximum grant available to each student is $2,500 per year.  The grant must not exceed the participant's financial need.

During the 1990-91 academic year, if funds are appropriated, 150 grants will be available to students residing in Snohomish, King, Pierce or Kitsap Counties.  Fifty grants will be available to the residents of Yakima County.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Higher Education)  Shirley Ort and Betty Fallihee, Higher Education Coordinating Board; Kathleen Ross, Heritage College; and Bob Maier, Washington Education Association.

(Appropriations)  Ann Daley, Higher Education Coordinating Board.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Higher Education)  None Presented.

(Appropriations)  None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Higher Education)  Washington ranks 13 percent below the national average in its provision of state- sponsored upper-division classes.  Many placebound students need to be given a choice of completing their upper-division work at an institution within commuting distance--often an independent institution.  Assisting these students to attend an independent institution by giving them a small grant is very cost-effective for the state.  Many of the Yakima students who will be assisted by this program will be minority students living under the poverty level, whose average age is 35. This legislation will give needy, placebound students the choice of attending either a state or independent institution.

(Appropriations)  The Educational Opportunities Program would be a demonstration program of how a small financial incentive would encourage a few students to continue their education.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Higher Education)  None Presented.

(Appropriations)  None Presented.