Brief Summary of Bill

Expands the College Bound Scholarship (CBS) signup to students in ninth- or tenth-grade who were previously ineligible for the award in seventh- or eighth-grade.
Prioritizes eligible CBS students for a State Need Grant if they have a family income that exceeds 65 percent of the state median family income range.

Background: The CBS Program was established in 2007 to provide guaranteed four-year tuition to students from low-income families. The first CBS awards were granted to the graduating high school class of 2012. Eligible students for the CBS include those who:

qualify for free or reduced-price lunches in the seventh grade;

are in grades seven through twelve, and are dependent from parents or guardians, or are receiving extended foster care services; or
are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one years and have not graduated from high school.

Beginning in the seventh-grade, eligible students are notified of their eligibility and the requirements for award of the scholarship. To be eligible to receive the CBS, a student must sign a pledge during the seventh- or eighth-grade that includes a commitment to graduate from high school with at least a C average and no felony convictions. The pledge must be witnessed by a parent or guardian and forwarded to the Office of Student Financial Assistance within the Washington Student Achievement Council. If the student is a dependent, the student is automatically enrolled without any necessary action by the student or the student's family.

To receive the CBS, the student must graduate with at least a C average from a public high school, approved private high school, or have received home-based instruction. The student cannot have a felony conviction and must be a resident student. Upon graduation, the student's family income will be assessed, and if it does not exceed 65 percent of the state median family income (MFI), the student will receive a scholarship.

CBS recipients that attend public two-year or four-year higher education institutions receive an award to cover the cost of tuition and fees, minus any state-funded grant, scholarship, or waiver assistance, plus $500 for books and materials. The student must maintain satisfactory academic progress and may not receive the scholarship for more than four full-time years.

Summary of Bill: Beginning in the 2019-20 academic year, a student may qualify for the CBS program if the student is eligible for free or reduced-price lunches in the ninth-grade, but was previously ineligible during the seventh- or eighth-grade while a Washington student. In the 2020-21 academic year, students who were previously ineligible in seventh-, eighth-, or ninth-grade and are now eligible in tenth-grade qualify for CBS.

Under the State Need Grant (SNG) program, a CBS eligible student who has a family income that exceeds 65 percent of the state MFI must be prioritized for the maximum SNG for which the student is eligible.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: As a high school social studies teacher I have seen many students come through the system. For these students, their lives have often been turned upside down from their seventh or eighth grade year to their ninth of tenth grade year. For example, a family divorce or family member passes away that completely changes their financial position. These students were unable to sign up for College Bound when they were required to but then their life position changes. This bill recognizes that its still early enough time in the high school career for a student to sign-up for college bound and have the benefits of that program. If they keep working hard they can succeed. This treats them in a similar way to other students who had access to this opportunity in seventh or eighth grade.

OTHER: The public baccalaureate institutions have a small concern about the packaging of aid under this bill. We are concerned about requiring further prioritization of college bound and the impacts that this will have on State Need Grant recipients. It may result in the institutions holding back too much State Need Grant aid in order to ensure it is available for College Bound recipients. We would like to recommend that students be required to meet a priority deadline for aid.