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

(2) "OSPI" means the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(3) "Public 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.

(4) "Eligible applicant" means a person who:

(a) Did not possess a master's degree in any subject prior to July 1, 1999;

(b) Receives either a master's in education or a master's in teaching degree from an institution of higher education in Washington after June 30, 1999; and

(c) Is teaching in one of the state's public elementary, middle, or secondary schools or has a contract to teach in one of those schools for the next academic year at a rate of half-time or greater.

(5) "Master's degree" means a master's in education or a master's in teaching degree.

(6) "Institution of higher education" means an accredited public or private college or university offering graduate degree coursework in the state of Washington including the branch campuses of out-of-state institutions which have a physical classroom presence within the state of Washington.

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

(8) "Teaching credential" means a teaching endorsement conferred by the office of the superintendent of public instruction or documentation that shows completion of a major or minor in one or more specific priority areas.

(9) "Mathematics or science" means an endorsement or major or minor in mathematics or science, biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics, as determined by the OSPI.

(10) "Priority areas" means those curriculum or teaching specialties defined as priorities in the selection of recipients for reimbursement.

(11) "Documentation" means evidence supporting the applicant's:

(a) Current teaching service;

(b) Possession of a teaching credential in priority area; and

(c) Receipt of an appropriate master's degree from an accredited institution of higher education.

(12) "Educational expenses" means the current representative average annual tuition and fees for resident graduate students attending the state's research institutions, as determined by the board.