Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee
HB 1554
Brief Description: Providing equity in eligibility for the college bound scholarship.
Sponsors: Representatives Timmons, Ortiz-Self, Ramel, Reed and Doglio; by request of State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Expands eligibility for the College Bound Scholarship to students who have received a high school equivalency certificate.

Hearing Date: 2/4/25
Staff: Saranda Ross (786-7068).
Background:

The College Bound Scholarship (CBS) provides recipients who attend two-year or four-year public institutions of higher education an award to cover the cost of tuition and fees, minus any state-funded grant, scholarship, or waiver assistance.? Recipients attending public institutions also receive $500 for books and materials.? The CBS awards for recipients at private institutions may be covered at public tuition rates.

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To receive the CBS, a resident 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.? There is no high school grade point average requirement for students to receive the CBS at a community or technical college. ?Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress, and may not receive the scholarship for more than four full-time years.

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Dependent students and students who were dependent but adopted between the ages of 14 to 18 can satisfy the requirement to graduate from high school with at least a C grade point average by instead receiving a high school equivalency certificate.

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A dependent student is a student who has been abandoned, is abused or neglected by a person legally responsible for the student?s care, has no parent, guardian, or custodian capable of adequately caring for the student, or is receiving extended foster care services.

Summary of Bill:

Eligibility for the CBS is expanded to students who have received a high school equivalency certificate.?

Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 28, 2025.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.