FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 492

BYRepresentatives Heavey, Jacobsen, Allen, Prince, Unsoeld, Miller, Brough, Kremen and R. King 

Continuing the authority to permit installment payments of tuition and fees.

House Committe on Higher Education

Senate Committee on Education

AS PASSED LEGISLATURE MARCH 30, 1987

BACKGROUND:

In 1985, the legislature approved a bill authorizing state colleges and universities to offer students an optional plan for paying tuition and fees, in advance, in monthly installments. Although state law requires institutions to transmit the operating fees they collect to the state treasurer within thirty-five days of receipt, institutions initiating a tuition installment plan were permitted to transmit operating fees to the treasurer within five days following the close of the appropriate quarter or semester.

Institutions implementing a tuition installment plan are required to report on the plan's effectiveness and administrative cost to the legislature by January 1, 1988.

$18,000 was appropriated for the 1985-87 biennium to Western Washington University to pilot test the concept.  During the 1986-87 academic year, 820 students at Western received the sets of prepayment coupons needed to participate in the plan.

Institutional authority to offer a tuition installment plan expires on June 30, 1987, as does the authority to transmit operating fees collected under the program to the treasurer within five days of the close of the appropriate quarter or semester.

SUMMARY:

The June 30, 1987 expiration date on institutional authority to offer tuition installment plans, is removed.  Also removed is the June 30, 1987 expiration date on authority to transmit operating fees collected through the program to the treasurer within five days of the close of the appropriate quarter or semester.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 97   0

      Senate    49     0

EFFECTIVE:Emergency Clause