SENATE BILL REPORT
HB 1232
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Higher Education & Workforce Development, March 15, 2023
Ways & Means, April 4, 2023
Title: An act relating to enhancing the college bound scholarship program by increasing opportunities for students to attend community and technical colleges.
Brief Description: Enhancing the college bound scholarship program.
Sponsors: Representatives Bergquist, Chambers, Entenman, Slatter, Paul, Ramos, Mena, Street, Riccelli, Pollet, Callan, Hackney, Thai, Reeves, Reed, Ortiz-Self, Kloba, Duerr, Doglio, Morgan, Ramel, Goodman, Tharinger, Lekanoff, Gregerson and Santos.
Brief History: Passed House: 2/27/23, 92-3.
Committee Activity: Higher Education & Workforce Development: 3/10/23, 3/15/23 [DP-WM].
Ways & Means: 3/21/23, 4/04/23 [DP, DNP, w/oRec].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Eliminates the grade point average requirement for all students other than those seeking direct admission to a public or private four-year institution of higher education.
  • Requires the Education Research and Data Center to annually send College Bound Scholarship data submitted by the institutions of higher education to the Washington Student Achievement Council.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
Signed by Senators Randall, Chair; Nobles, Vice Chair; Holy, Ranking Member; Hawkins and Liias.
Staff: Alicia Kinne-Clawson (786-7407)
SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Rolfes, Chair; Robinson, Vice Chair, Operating & Revenue; Mullet, Vice Chair, Capital; Rivers, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Warnick, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Billig, Boehnke, Conway, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Muzzall, Nguyen, Pedersen, Saldaña, Van De Wege and Wellman.
Minority Report: Do not pass.
Signed by Senator Schoesler, Ranking Member, Capital.
Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.
Signed by Senators Wilson, L., Ranking Member, Operating; Gildon, Assistant Ranking Member, Operating; Braun, Torres and Wagoner.
Staff: Michele Alishahi (786-7433)
Background:

The College Bound Scholarship Program (CBS) 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, eighth-grade, or in certain circumstances, ninth-grade; or
  • are independent from parents or guardians, or are receiving extended foster care services, and are in grades 7 through 12, or are between the ages of 18 and 21 years and have not graduated from high school. 

 
Beginning in the seventh-grade, eligible students are automatically enrolled in the CBS by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC).  Students and parents are notified of the student's eligibility and the scholarship's requirements.  To receive the CBS, a student must graduate from high school with at least a C grade point average, have no felony convictions, and have a family income that does not exceed 65 percent of the state median family income.

 

All higher education institutions that participate in the CBS program are required to submit certain CBS data to the Education Research and Data Center (ERDC) annually for analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of the CBS program. WSAC is also required to submit student unit record data for the CBS program to the ERDC.
Summary of Bill:

For CBS eligible students enrolling in a postsecondary education institution for the first time beginning with the 2023-24 academic year, a C grade point average is required only for those students seeking direct admission to a public or private four-year institution of higher education.
 
Additional data points on grade point averages are added to the information that higher education institutions must submit to the ERDC.  The ERDC must annually send the CBS data submitted by the higher education institutions to WSAC beginning on July 1, 2024.  WSAC must submit an annual legislative report on the CBS data beginning November 1, 2024.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Higher Education & Workforce Development):

PRO: This is another effort to bring equity to high school students in the College Bound program. This year's goal is to ensure more access for students enrolling in community college if they were College Bound eligible aside from not receiving 2.0 gpa in high school. For every seven Asian students that graduate with over a 2.0 gpa, one is under. For every two and a half white students over that threshold, one is under. The ratio is 1 to 1 for American Indian or Alaska Native students and 2 to 1 for black students. More students will be able to be served by this critical financial aid program.
Persons Testifying (Higher Education & Workforce Development): PRO: Representative Steve Bergquist, Prime Sponsor; Yokiko Hayashi-Saguil, SBCTC; Puneet Birk, Associated Students of the University of Washington Bothell.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (Higher Education & Workforce Development): No one.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Ways & Means):

None.
Persons Testifying (Ways & Means): No one.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (Ways & Means): No one.