H-3391.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2534

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Kenney, Cox, Kagi, Chase, Tokuda, Jarrett, Conway, Morell, Ogden, Edwards, Kessler, Haigh, Veloria, McIntire, Schual‑Berke, Wood, Santos, McDermott and Linville

Read first time 01/21/2002.  Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

Gaining independence for students by creating the educational assistance grant program for financially needy students with dependents.

    AN ACT Relating to gaining independence for students by establishing an educational assistance grant program for students with dependents; and adding a new chapter to Title 28B RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  FINDING‑-INTENT.  The legislature finds that financially needy students, especially those with dependents, are finding it increasingly difficult to stay in school due to the high expenses of caring for their dependent children.

    The legislature intends to establish an educational assistance grant program for students with dependents who are eligible for the state need grant and who have additional financial needs due to the care they provide for their dependents eighteen years of age or younger.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  PROGRAM CREATED.  The educational assistance grant program for students with dependents is hereby created to serve financially needy students with dependents eighteen years of age or younger, by assisting them directly through a grant program to pursue a degree or certificate at institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 that participate in the state need grant program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  DEFINITION‑-ELIGIBILITY.  To be eligible for the educational assistance grant program for students with dependents, applicants must be residents of the state of Washington who are needy students as defined in RCW 28B.10.802(3) and meet all of the eligibility requirements under the state need grant as established by the higher education coordinating board.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM‑-PAYMENTS TO PARTICIPANTS.  (1) The higher education coordinating board shall develop and administer the educational assistance grant program for students with dependents.  The higher education coordinating board shall adopt necessary rules and guidelines and develop criteria and procedures to identify eligible participants in the program.

    (2) Any funds appropriated by the legislature for the educational assistance grant program for students with dependents or any other public or private funds intended for awards to students under this program shall be placed in the account created by this section.

    (3) The educational assistance grant program for students with dependents account is created in the custody of the state treasurer.  All receipts from the program shall be deposited into the account.  Only the higher education coordinating board, or its designee, may authorize expenditures from the account.  The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  USE OF GRANTS.  The educational assistance grant program for students with dependents grants may be used by eligible participants to attend any public or private college or university in the state of Washington that is accredited by an accrediting association recognized by rule of the higher education coordinating board and participates in the state need grant program.  The participant is not eligible for a grant if it will be used to pursue a degree in theology.  Each participating student may receive an amount to be determined by the higher education coordinating board, with a minimum amount of one thousand dollars per academic year, or not to exceed the student's documented financial need for the course of study as determined by the institution.

    Educational assistance grants for students with dependents are not intended to supplant any grant scholarship or tax program related to postsecondary education.  If the higher education coordinating board finds that the educational assistance grants for students with dependents supplant or reduce any grant, scholarship, or tax program for categories of students, then the higher education coordinating board shall adjust the financial eligibility criteria or the amount of the grant to the level necessary to avoid supplanting.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.  This chapter may be known and cited as the gaining independence for students with dependents program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.  Captions used in this act are not any part of the law.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8.  Sections 1 through 7 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 28B RCW.

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