College in the High School (CHS) programs provide college level courses in high schools or high school environments to qualified students who are in or are eligible for enrollment in grades 9 through 12.  Students who participate in a CHS program are able to earn both high school and postsecondary credit by completing postsecondary level courses with a passing grade.  Programs are established in individual agreements between the schools and colleges or universities.
 
The maximum per college credit tuition fee for a program course is $65 per college credit, adjusted for inflation.  High schools that offer CHS programs must provide general information about the program to all students in grades 8 through 12 and their guardians, as well as provide certain program information in course catalogues.
 
State funding for CHS programs does not include funding for students who are in or eligible for enrollment in grades 9 or 10.  For students in grades 11 or 12, funding is prioritized according to statute with a limit of ten credits, although a lower limit may be established in the Omnibus Appropriations Act.
 
Subsidies may also be provided for students who meet financial aid requirements.  The maximum annual number of subsidized credits that a student may receive through these provisions is limited by statute to five, but the Omnibus Appropriations Act may establish a lower limit.
 
In state statute, the term institutions of higher education is defined as the state universities, the regional universities, The Evergreen State College, and community and technical colleges.

Beginning September 1, 2023, institutions of higher education must provide enrollment and registration in CHS courses at no cost for students in grades 9 through 12 at public high schools.
 
Beginning with the 2023-2025 Omnibus Operating Appropriation Act (operating budget), the Legislature must appropriate state funding for CHS courses administered at public secondary schools. State appropriation shall be calculated using the total CHS courses administered in the prior academic year, funded at $300 per student up to a maximum rate of:

• $6,000 per CHS course administered by a state university;
• $5,000 per CHS course administered by a regional university or the state college; or
• $3,500 per CHS course administered by a community or technical college.

 
Beginning with fiscal year 2025, the rate per CHS course must be adjusted annually for inflation as measured by the consumer price index.
 

High schools that provide a CHS course must provide in a notification to parents and guardians of students in grades 8 through 12, including by email, in beginning of the year packets, and in the course catalog, that there is no fee for students to enroll in a CHS course. The parental and guardian notifications must also explain that enrolling in a CHS course automatically starts an official college transcript with the institution of higher education offering the course regardless of student performance, and that college credit earned upon successful completion of a course may count only as elective credit if transferred to another institution of higher education.

Previous CHS funding statutes are repealed, including statutes permitting institutions of higher educations to charge students a per-credit tuition fee.

Institutions of higher education offering CHS must:

• provide evidence of completion of each program course on the student's college transcripts;
• grant undergraduate college credit as appropriate and applicable to the student's degree requirements; and
• provide course equivalencies for CHS courses and policy for awarding credit on the institution's website.

College in the High School Data Reporting.  Public institutions of higher education offering CHS courses must coordinate with specified organizations to each prepare a report on CHS programs as follows:

• state universities, regional universities, and the state college must coordinate with an organization representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of higher education; and
• the community and technical colleges must coordinate with the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Each report must be disaggregated by institution of higher education and include:

• data about student participation rates, award of high school credit, award of postsecondary credit at an institution of higher education, academic performance, and subsequent enrollment in an institution of higher education;
• geographic data on CHS courses, including the name, number, location of courses, and student enrollment disaggregated by school districts and high schools;
• data on CHS student demographics, including race, ethnicity, gender, and receipt of free or reduced price lunch; and
• recommendations on additional categories of data reporting and disaggregation.

Reports must be submitted to the appropriate committees of the Legislature beginning September 1, 2024, and each year thereafter.