(1) Grant amounts.
(a) Maximum grant award value. State grants to individual recipients shall not exceed, on an annual basis, the yearly, full-time, resident, undergraduate tuition and service and activities fees in effect at the state-funded research universities.
(b) Calculation of individual award amounts.
(i) The value of individual grants shall be calculated annually, as a prorated amount of the annual appropriation and based upon the number of eligible scholars attending participating institutions, the tuition costs at those institutions, and limited to the funds appropriated to the board for the program.
(ii) Individual recipients may receive state grants that do not exceed the cost of tuition and service and activities fees for which they are enrolled at the institution attended. Should funds be insufficient to cover all recipients at the full cost of tuition, subject to the maximum grant award value, the value of all award payments in the given payment term shall be reduced proportionally by the same percent to avoid overexpenditure of the appropriated funds.
(iii) Grants to recipients attending a Washington independent institution shall also be contingent upon the institution matching, on at least a dollar-for-dollar basis, either with actual institutional moneys or a waiver of tuition and fees, the grant amount the student receives from the state.
If the independent institution chooses to match the grant with actual cash rather than by waiver of tuition/fees, the institutional match shall consist of dollars derived from institutional grant aid funds.
(2) Priorities in funding grants. Grants shall be funded contingent upon appropriated funds available and subject to the following priorities:
(a) First priority in funding of grants shall be to Washington scholars attending eligible institutions during the regular academic year and who are identified to the board by the enrolling institution no later than the twentieth day of the fall term as having enrolled or who are planning to enroll in a subsequent term during the regular academic year.
(b) Second priority in funding of grants shall be to Washington scholars identified to the board by the enrolling institution after the twentieth day of the fall term as having enrolled or who are planning to enroll in a subsequent term during the regular academic year.
(c) Third priority in funding of grants shall be to Washington scholars enrolling in eligible institutions for the summer term.
(3) Washington scholars eligible for grants shall be responsible for payment of tuition and service and activity fees or make arrangement with the institution for payment of tuition and service and activity fees. The state grants may be used to pay for any valid educational expense, including, but not limited to, tuition and service and activity fees, books and supplies, transportation, room and board, and miscellaneous/personal costs.