S-3453.1

SENATE BILL 5719

BySenators Mullet and Gildon

AN ACT Relating to dual credit costs; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.600.310; adding a new section to chapter 28A.600 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.600 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall create and administer a grant program for the purpose of providing funds to school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal compact schools to cover a portion of the credit tuition fee for college in the high school program courses under RCW 28A.600.287.

(2) School districts, charter schools, and state-tribal compact schools receiving funds under this grant program must cover the per college credit tuition fee for a program course either at the full per credit amount set under RCW 28A.600.287 or at the amount of $35 per credit, whichever is lower.

(3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction may adopt rules necessary for the implementation of this section.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.600.310 and 2019 c 252 s 115 and 2019 c 176 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) Eleventh and ((twelfth))12th grade students or students who have not yet received the credits required for the award of a high school diploma and are eligible to be in the ((eleventh))11th or ((twelfth))12th grades may apply to a participating institution of higher education to enroll in courses or programs offered by the institution of higher education.

(b) The course sections and programs offered as running start courses must also be open for registration to matriculated students at the participating institution of higher education and may not be a course consisting solely of high school students offered at a high school campus.

(c) A student receiving home-based instruction enrolling in a public high school for the sole purpose of participating in courses or programs offered by institutions of higher education shall not be counted by the school district in any required state or federal accountability reporting if the student's parents or guardians filed a declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction and the student received home-based instruction during the school year before the school year in which the student intends to participate in courses or programs offered by the institution of higher education. Students receiving home-based instruction under chapter 28A.200 RCW and students attending private schools approved under chapter 28A.195 RCW shall not be required to meet the student learning goals or to learn the state learning standards. However, students are eligible to enroll in courses or programs in participating universities only if the board of directors of the student's school district has decided to participate in the program. Participating institutions of higher education, in consultation with school districts, may establish admission standards for these students. If the institution of higher education accepts a secondary school pupil for enrollment under this section, the institution of higher education shall send written notice to the pupil and the pupil's school district within ((ten))10 days of acceptance. The notice shall indicate the course and hours of enrollment for that pupil.

(2)(((a))) In lieu of tuition and fees, as defined in RCW 28B.15.020 and 28B.15.041((:

(c) Students may pay fees under this subsection with advanced college tuition payment program tuition units at a rate set by the advanced college tuition payment program governing body under chapter 28B.95 RCW)), institutions of higher education may charge running start students reasonable fees for textbook costs.

(3)(a) The institutions of higher education must make available textbook fee waivers for low-income running start students. A student shall be considered low income and eligible for a textbook fee waiver upon proof that the student is currently qualified to receive free or reduced-price lunch. Acceptable documentation of low-income status may also include, but is not limited to, documentation that a student has been deemed eligible for free or reduced-price lunches in the last five years, or other criteria established in the institution's policy.

(b)(i) By the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, school districts, upon knowledge of a low-income student's enrollment in running start, must provide documentation of the student's low-income status, under (a) of this subsection, directly to institutions of higher education.

(ii) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the Washington student achievement council, shall develop a centralized process for school districts to provide students' low-income status to institutions of higher education to meet the requirements of (b)(i) of this subsection.

(c) Institutions of higher education, in collaboration with relevant student associations, shall aim to have students who can benefit from textbook fee waivers take advantage of these waivers. Institutions shall make every effort to communicate to students and their families the benefits of the waivers and provide assistance to students and their families on how to apply. Information about waivers shall, to the greatest extent possible, be incorporated into financial aid counseling, admission information, and individual billing statements. Institutions also shall, to the greatest extent possible, use all means of communication, including but not limited to websites, online catalogues, admission and registration forms, mass email messaging, social media, and outside marketing to ensure that information about waivers is visible, compelling, and reaches the maximum number of students and families that can benefit.

(4) The pupil's school district shall transmit to the institution of higher education an amount per each full-time equivalent college student at statewide uniform rates for vocational and nonvocational students. The superintendent of public instruction shall separately calculate and allocate moneys appropriated for basic education under RCW 28A.150.260 to school districts for purposes of making such payments and for granting school districts seven percent thereof to offset program related costs. The calculations and allocations shall be based upon the estimated statewide annual average per full-time equivalent high school student allocations under RCW 28A.150.260, excluding small high school enhancements, and applicable rules adopted under chapter 34.05 RCW. The superintendent of public instruction, participating institutions of higher education, and the state board for community and technical colleges shall consult on the calculation and distribution of the funds. The funds received by the institution of higher education from the school district shall not be deemed tuition or operating fees and may be retained by the institution of higher education. A student enrolled under this subsection shall be counted for the purpose of meeting enrollment targets in accordance with terms and conditions specified in the omnibus appropriations act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2022.

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