The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Apprentice" means a person enrolled in a state-approved, federally registered, or reciprocally recognized apprenticeship program.
(2) "Apprenticeship" means an apprenticeship training program approved or recognized by the state apprenticeship council or similar federal entity.
(3) "Cost of attendance" means the cost associated with attending a particular institution of higher education as determined by the office, including but not limited to tuition, fees, room, board, books, personal expenses, and transportation, plus the cost of reasonable additional expenses incurred by an eligible student and approved by a financial aid administrator at the student's school of attendance.
(4) "Federal foster care system" means the foster care program under the federal unaccompanied refugee minors program, Title 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1522 of the immigration and nationality act of 1965, as amended.
(5) "Financial need" means the difference between a student's cost of attendance and the student's total family contribution as determined by the method prescribed by the United States department of education.
(6) "Homeless" or "homelessness" means without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence as set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.
(7) "Independent college or university" means a private, nonprofit institution of higher education, open to residents of the state, providing programs of education beyond the high school level leading to at least the baccalaureate degree, and accredited by the Northwest association of schools and colleges, and other institutions as may be developed that are approved by the student achievement council as meeting equivalent standards as those institutions accredited under this section.
(8) "Institution of higher education" means any institution eligible to and participating in the Washington college grant program.
(9) "Occupational-specific costs" means the costs associated with entering an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship, including but not limited to fees, tuition for classes, work clothes, rain gear, boots, occupation-specific tools.
(10) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.
(11) "Preapprenticeship" means an apprenticeship preparation program recognized by the state apprenticeship council and as defined in RCW
28C.18.162.
(12) "Program" means the passport to careers program created in this chapter.
(13) "State foster care system" means out-of-home care pursuant to a dependency and includes the placement of dependents from other states who are placed in Washington pursuant to orders issued under the interstate compact on the placement of children, chapter
26.34 RCW.
(14) "Tribal court" has the same meaning as defined in RCW
13.38.040.
(15) "Tribal foster care system" means an out-of-home placement under a dependency order from a tribal court.
(16) "Unaccompanied" means a youth or young adult experiencing homelessness while not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.