(1) "Academic year" means the regular nine-month, three-quarter or two-semester period annually occurring between August 1st and June 30th.

(2) "Accredited" means an institution certified by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges or by a similar regional accrediting body.

(3) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.

(4) "Classified public K-12 employees" means employees working for K-12 schools covered by chapter 41.56 RCW.

(5) "Conditional scholarship" means funds received from The Future Teachers Conditional Scholarship for Public School Classified Employees program. This is a loan that will be forgiven in exchange for teaching service in Washington K-12 public schools.

(6) "Continuous enrollment" means the period of time a recipient is enrolled without stopping, except for the equivalent of one term per year, such as a summer term.

(7) "Forgiven" or "to forgive" or "forgiveness" means that portion of the recipient's loan that does not need to be repaid in exchange for the recipient having provided the specified teaching service in a Washington public K-12 school.

(8) "Full-time student" means a recipient enrolled for twelve or more credit hours, or the equivalent, per term.

(9) "Future teachers" means classified public K-12 employees who are working toward their initial teaching certifications.

(10) "Institution of higher education" means an accredited public or private college, community college or university which physically delivers classroom instruction within the state of Washington and whose program of study will advance students toward teacher certification requirements at the freshman or sophomore level; or whose coursework will lead to initial teaching certifications for students enrolled at the junior level or higher.

(11) "Loan equalization fee" means an additional amount charged to a recipient who fails to complete the required teaching service. This fee is added in order to make the cost of the program similar to the cost incurred by recipients borrowing from the primary federal student loan program for undergraduate students. This fee shall be determined annually by the board.

(12) "Loan repayment" means that portion of the conditional scholarship that is not forgiven due to teaching service and is instead repaid according to the terms of the promissory note by the recipient.

(13) "Recipients" means eligible student applicants selected to receive conditional scholarships.

(14) "Shortage areas" means either geographic or subject-matters areas as defined by the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(15) "Teacher certification" means the initial license issued by the office of the superintendent of public instruction permitting an individual to be employed as a teacher in the state of Washington.

(16) "Teaching service" means employment as a certified teacher in a Washington public K-12 school on at least a half-time basis. This also includes comparable employment as a substitute teacher or part-time teaching positions.

(17) "Washington public K-12 school" means an elementary school, a middle school, junior high school or high school within the public school system referred to in Article IX of the state Constitution.