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SECOND
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1661
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Passed
Legislature - 1999 Regular Session
State of Washington 56th
Legislature 1999 Regular Session
By
Read first time 03/08/1999.
Creating
Washington scholars-alternates awards.
AN
ACT Relating to the Washington scholars program; amending RCW 28A.600.150 and
28B.80.245; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. The
legislature finds that approximately thirty-five percent of the recipients of
the Washington scholars award under RCW 28A.600.100 through 28A.600.150 choose
to enroll in an out-of-state college and therefore do not use the grants that
would have been available to them under RCW 28B.80.245 had they chosen to
attend a college or university in the state of Washington. It is the intent of
the legislature to require high school seniors who are announced as recipients
of the Washington scholars award to demonstrate in a timely manner that they
will be using any grants they may receive with their awards to enroll in a
college or university in Washington state during the fall term of the same year
in which they receive the award. Any grants not used by initial recipients
should be awarded to alternate recipients who must also demonstrate in a timely
manner that they will be using their grants to enroll in a Washington college
or university in Washington state during the fall term.
Sec.
2. RCW
28A.600.150 and 1985 c 370 s 35 are each amended to read as follows:
((Washington
scholars annually shall be selected from among the students so identified.))
Each year, three Washington scholars and one Washington scholars-alternate
shall be selected from the students nominated under RCW 28A.600.140. The
higher education coordinating board shall notify the students so designated,
their high school principals, the legislators of their respective districts,
and the governor when final selections have been made.
The
board, in conjunction with the governor's office, shall prepare appropriate
certificates to be presented to the Washington scholars ((recipients)) and
the Washington scholars-alternates. An awards ceremony at an appropriate
time and place shall be planned by the board in cooperation with the Washington
association of secondary school principals, and with the approval of the
governor.
Sec.
3. RCW
28B.80.245 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 5 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
Recipients of the Washington scholars award or the Washington
scholars-alternate award under RCW 28A.600.100 through 28A.600.150 who
choose to attend an independent college or university in this state, as defined
in subsection (4) of this section, and recipients of the award named after June
30, 1994, who choose to attend a public college or university in the state may
receive grants under this section if moneys are available. The higher
education coordinating board shall distribute grants to eligible students under
this section from moneys appropriated for this purpose. The individual grants
shall not exceed, on a yearly basis, the yearly, full-time, resident,
undergraduate tuition and service and activities fees in effect at the state-funded
research universities. Grants to recipients attending an independent
institution shall be contingent upon the institution matching on at least a
dollar-for-dollar basis, either with actual money or by a waiver of fees, the
amount of the grant received by the student from the state. The higher
education coordinating board shall establish procedures, by rule, to disburse
the awards as direct grants to the students.
(2)
((To qualify for the grant, recipients shall enter the in-state college or
university within three years of high school graduation and)) The higher
education coordinating board shall establish rules that provide for the annual
awarding of grants, if moneys are available, to three Washington scholars per
legislative district; and, if not used by an original recipient, to the
Washington scholars-alternate from the same legislative district.
Beginning
with scholars selected in the year 2000, if the recipients of grants fail to
demonstrate in a timely manner that they will enroll in a Washington
institution of higher education in the fall term of the academic year following
the award of the grant or are deemed by the higher education coordinating board
to have withdrawn from college during the first academic year following the
award, then the grant shall be considered relinquished. The higher education
coordinating board may then award any remaining grant amounts to the Washington
scholars-alternate from the same legislative district if the grants are awarded
within one calendar year of the recipient being named a Washington
scholars-alternate. Washington scholars-alternates named as recipients of the
grant must also demonstrate in a timely manner that they will enroll in a
Washington institution of higher education during the next available term, as
determined by the higher education coordinating board. The board may accept
appeals and grant waivers to the enrollment requirements of this section based
on exceptional mitigating circumstances of individual grant recipients.
To
maintain eligibility for the grants, recipients must maintain a minimum
grade point average at the college or university equivalent to 3.30. Students
shall be eligible to receive a maximum of twelve quarters or eight semesters of
grants for undergraduate study and may transfer among in-state public and
independent colleges and universities during that period and continue to
receive the grant as provided under RCW 28B.80.246. If the student's
cumulative grade point average falls below 3.30 during the first three quarters
or two semesters, that student may petition the higher education coordinating
board which shall have the authority to establish a probationary period until
such time as the student's grade point average meets required standards.
(3)
No grant shall be awarded to any student who is pursuing a degree in theology.
(4)
As used in this section, "independent college or university" means a
private, nonprofit educational institution, the main campus of which is
permanently situated in the state, open to residents of the state, providing
programs of education beyond the high school level leading at least to the
baccalaureate degree, and accredited by the northwest association of schools
and colleges as of June 9, 1988, and other institutions as may be developed
that are approved by the higher education coordinating board as meeting
equivalent standards as those institutions accredited under this section.
(5) As used in this section, "public college or
university" means an institution of higher education as defined in RCW
28B.10.016.
