Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program. The Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program (WAGAP), established and administered by the Washington State Council of Presidents (COP), provides notice to students of admission to certain public universities before applying. Those six institutions include Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, The Evergreen State College, University of Washington Tacoma, Washington State University, and Western Washington University.
To have guaranteed admission, a student must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, be on track to meet all the minimum core academic course requirements a student must have completed for college admission—College Academic Distribution Requirements—and be from a school in a school district that is participating in WAGAP.
Council of Presidents. COP is an organization representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of higher education in Washington State.
Washington School Information Processing Cooperative. The Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (WSIPC) is a public, nonprofit cooperative that provides K-12 public and private schools with certain services including data reporting, technology services, building partnerships between agencies, a purchasing program, and software support.
The Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program is Established. Beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, regional universities, The Evergreen State College, at least one campus of each state university, and tribal institutions of higher education, must participate in WAGAP. Participating institutions must simplify and streamline the general admissions application form. An institution may opt out if they provide:
The COP must:
The COP may collaborate with philanthropic organizations to secure funding for marketing and implementing the program.
Notice on Certain Washington State Programs. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) must collaborate with WSAC, COP, and other stakeholders, and must create a notice providing information about:
OSPI must work with WSAC to disseminate the notice to school districts and others. Alternatively, the notice may be incorporated into high school and beyond plans.
By the 2026-27 school year, each school district and other institutions with students grades 9 through 12, must disseminate the notice created by WSAC and stakeholders by November each year, as well as designate a staff person to be a resource for students on the items contained in the notice.
Data Sharing. By January 1, 2027, each school district, charter school, state-tribal education compact school, and institutional education provider must enter into data sharing agreements with institutions participating in WAGAP or WSIPC to facilitate and transmit the data of students in grades 11 and 12 from secondary schools who meet the criteria for WAGAP.
The Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program Notification. By the 2027-28 school year, each school district and others with students in grades 11 and 12, must collaborate with WSIPC and participating four-year institutions through COP to create a notification on WAGAP. Parents of a student may opt out of the notification.
PRO: This codifies and speeds up a program that is already in existence. All institutions currently participate in this except for UW Seattle. This is something the Governor is also interested in. This program was created, developed, and led by the public four-year institutions. What a nice message to get when you are about to graduate from high school, to know you have been accepted to an institution. There is a specific time to fill out the FAFSA. We are working closely with WSAC to make sure that those things are aligned - FAFSA and WAGAP. This first step is helping students figure out where they want to go. WAGAP helps build this relationship.
Half the high school students in the state of Washington right now who graduate do not go to any postsecondary education. This bill will have schools become recruiters, rather than gate keepers. This bill also has us work on a new streamlined application and admissions process. If we are really going to do this and succeed, we should not cut higher education anymore. We must ensure any individual who meets the criteria, knows that postsecondary education is available to them. High schools are supposed to prepare students for the future. The notification is the most important component of this bill. When I was in high school, this notification did not exist and I didn't know about my options. This creates a safety net which ensures qualified residents that have a spot know they have a spot.
My parents are not from this country, and they did not go to college here. As an only child, I am navigating this by myself. There are so many students at each school, overly reliant on a few counselors to tell them about their opportunities. Creating this safety net, about providing this necessary information to students, will allow students the opportunity to chase their dreams and shape their future.
I was an overachiever and stretched myself thin during high school. Even with my good grades and my participation in extracurricular activities, I was so busy my senior year that I missed my deadlines to apply to college. If this program had been up and running, this would not have occurred. The application and admissions process is not transparent and is confusing for students. This bill makes it clear to students and gives students peace of mind. Today, a four-year degree is increasingly important for economic stability. Other states, such as Texas, have enacted similar programs to great success. As a first-generation student, I know how easy it is to miss these deadlines. Guaranteed admission ensures equal access. We have a college-going culture problem in this state. We are near the bottom of the list. Enrollment is what we should focus on. WAGAP was started by institutions. If you tie this to financial aid, this would be a powerful enrollment tool.
PRO: Senator Drew Hansen, Prime Sponsor; Melissa Beard, Council of Presidents; Bill Lyne, United Faculty of Washington State; Omkar Page; Christopher Rosenquist, Associated Students of Western Washington University; Heba Qatrani, Associated Students of University of Washington Tacoma; Jonathan Lin; Kaushal Rao; Hugo Huang; Ishan Sharma; Jayden Hong; Sienna Jarrard, Washington Student Association; Natalya Yudkovsky, Washington State PTA; Neil Strege, Washington Roundtable.