HB 2309 — Establishing the Washington 13 free guarantee.

H-2920.1H-2534.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2309 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session By House Postsecondary Education & Workforce (originally sponsored by Representatives Bergquist, Ybarra, Reed, Waters, Pollet, McEntire, Paul, Slatter, Entenman, Santos, Ramel, Riccelli, Timmons, and Callan)Callan READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 01/31/24.01/11/24.

Referred to Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce.

providing a contingent effective date;

(1) When the Washington advanced college tuition payment program was enacted, the legislature envisioned that establishing a scholarship for those in financial need would be a permissible use of the moneys from the payment program account.

(2) The legislature finds that the Washington advanced college tuition payment program account in chapter 28B.95 RCW has a surplus of funding and is funded at a level of approximately 148 percent.

(3) The legislature finds that it is an appropriate use of a portion of the surplus from the Washington advanced college tuition payment program account to provide financial aid to students in financial need in order to attend community or technical college.

p.

1 SHB 2309 NEW SECTION.

Sec.

2.

or (d)p. Apprenticeship programs established pursuant to chapter 49.04 RCW and conducted in association with any community or technical college.

1 HB 2309 (d) Apprenticeship programs established pursuant to chapter 49.04 RCW and conducted in association with any community or technical college.

3.2.

(1) The Washington 13 free guarantee is established to provide up to 45 credits of tuition free community or technical college, to be earned within two academic years, for eligible students regardless of incomeincome. beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.

(2) The office shall implement and administer the guarantee and is authorized to establish rules necessary for implementation of the guarantee.

p.(2) To become a recipient, an eligible student must:

2 SHB 2309 (3) To be eligible for the guarantee, students must meet the following requirements:

and (e) Be a resident student, as defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2)28B.15.012. (a) through (e).

(4)p. Qualifications for receipt and renewal of the guarantee include maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward completion of an eligible degree or certificate program as determined by the office and established in rule.

2 HB 2309 NEW SECTION.

4.3.

The value of the award is the difference between the recipient's tuition fees as defined in RCW 28B.15.020 and services and activities fees as defined in RCW 28B.15.041, less the value of any state-funded grant, scholarship, gift aid, or waiver assistance the recipient receives, for up to 45 credits to be earned within two academic years.years as long as the recipient maintains satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the community or technical college.

5.4.

BeginningNo inlater thethan 2025-26June academic30, year,2024, eachthe communityoffice orshall technicalpurchase college2,500,000 musttuition designateunits aat staffthe memberprice toof provideone studentdollar supportper andunit coordinateunder wraparoundthe servicesWashington foradvanced recipientscollege totuition reducepayment orprogram helpin tochapter reduce28B.95 barriersRCW. that threaten completion of eligible degree or certificate programs.

SupportUnits andare wraparoundheld servicesin undertrust thisand section may be providedused noby longerthe thanoffice thesolely recipientfor receivesthe benefitsfollowing purposes under the guarantee.guarantee:

p.(1) Providing recipients with family incomes at or between 65 to 150 percent of the state median family income with:

3(a) SHBGrant 2309awards. NEW SECTION.

Sec.The value of a grant award will be the difference between the recipient's tuition fees as defined in RCW 28B.15.020 and services and activities fees as defined in RCW 28B.15.041, less the value of any state-funded grant including the college bound scholarship program established in chapter 28B.118 RCW and the Washington college grant created in RCW 28B.92.200, scholarship, gift aid, or waiver assistance the recipient receives, for up to 45 credits to be earned within two academic years as long as the recipient maintains satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the community or technical college;

6.and (b) Six units each to be used as cost of attendance stipends for books and other related higher education expenses divided evenly over one academic years' worth of quarters or semesters, regardless of full-time or part-time enrollment status.

TheReceipt amount of $300,000,000 from the Washingtonstipend advancedmay collegenot tuitionresult payment program account in chaptera 28B.95reduction RCWof mustgift beaid; used for the following purposes under the Washington 13 free guarantee.

Fundingand may(2) onlyProviding berecipients allocatedwith iffamily incomes at or below 150 percent of the actuarialstate fundedmedian statusfamily remainsincome atwith eight units each, disbursed evenly over one academic years' worth of quarters or abovesemesters 120regardless percent.of full-time or part-time enrollment status, to the recipient's community or technical college for individualized and reasonable wraparound services provided by or through the community or technical college but only to the extent such costs constitute a qualified higher education expense as defined by the internal revenue p.

Funding3 mustHB be2309 usedservice. by the office solely for providing recipients with family incomes at or between 65 to 140 percent of the state median family income with:

(1)The Grantpurpose awards.of wraparound services is to reduce or help to reduce barriers that threaten completion of eligible degree or certificate programs.

TheWraparound valueservices ofshall a grant award will be theprovided differenceno betweenlonger thethan recipient's tuition fees as defined in RCW 28B.15.020 and services and activities fees as defined in RCW 28B.15.041, less the valuerecipient ofreceives anybenefits state-fundedunder grant including the collegeguarantee. bound scholarship program established in chapter 28B.118 RCW and the Washington college grant created in RCW 28B.92.200, scholarship, gift aid, or waiver assistance the recipient receives, for up to 45 credits to be earned within two academic years;

and (2) $500 cost of attendance stipends for books and other related higher education expenses divided evenly over one academic years' worth of quarters or semesters, regardless of full-time or part-time enrollment status.

Receipt of the stipend may not result in a reduction of gift aid.

7.5.

8.6.

9.7.

The student p.achievement council shall report its findings to the relevant committees of the legislature, pursuant to RCW 43.01.036, by October 1, 2026.