Promise Programs. Promise programs help students pay for all or part of the cost of postsecondary education. Some local and institutional promise programs in Washington include the Seattle Promise, Renton Promise, and Husky Promise. Not all promise programs require a means test.

Median Family Income. According to the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), the 2024-25 median family income (MFI) in Washington State for a family of four was $78,500.

College Promise Pilot in Eastern Washington. Promise Program for Students. Subject to amounts appropriated, beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, the WSAC shall collaborate with an administrator to establish and administer College Promise Pilot Program. The administrator shall be a registered 501(c)(3) that provides student services in ten counties across Eastern Washington and is headquartered in a county east of the crest of the Cascade Mountains

The administrator must select a minimum of 100 eligible students per year within the ten-county region to receive up to $5,000 annually for tuition and fees.

To be eligible, a student must have: (1) graduated from a high school within the region, (2) enrolled in an eligible postsecondary program within one year of graduating high school, (3) have a family income that does not exceed 150 percent of the state MFI, and (4) are part of a program that provides mentoring services to students on post high school education.

Funds will be distributed from WSAC to the institution on behalf of the College Promise Pilot Program.

High School Promise Program. Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, graduating high school students at three high schools may receive full tuition for two years of community college. Within the region they serve, the administrator must select:

• one public high school serving fewer than 1000 students;
• one project-based high school serving fewer than 300 students; and
• one high school serving only juniors and seniors, and serving fewer than 500 students.

Report. The administrator shall submit a report to the WSAC to submit it to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2028. The report must include the following information:

• the number of promise program students that attend a community college and received funds under the programs established in sections 1 and 4 of this act;
• the number of promise program students who complete a degree within two years; and
• the number of promise program students who transfer to a four-year institution of higher education.

Private Matching Funds Required and Account Created. A private match is required on an equal dollar basis for any state funds for the College Promise Pilot Program.

A Match Transfer Account (account) is created. No expenditures from the account may be made except upon receipt of proof, by the WSAC from the program administrator, of private contributions to the College Promise Pilot Program.