SB 5275 — Modifying funding and award levels for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington college grant.

(9) Should a recipient terminate his or her enrollment for any reason during the academic year, the unused portion of the grant shall be returned to the state educational grant fund by the institution of higher education according to the institution of higher education's policy for issuing refunds, except as provided in RCW 28B.92.070.

(10) An eligible student enrolled on a part-time basis shall receive a prorated portion of the Washington college grant for any academic period in which he or she is enrolled on a part-time basis.

(11) The Washington college grant is intended to be used to meet the costs of postsecondary education for students with financial need.

The student shall be awarded all need-based financial aid for which the student qualifies as determined by the institution.

(12) Students and participating institutions of higher education shall comply with all the rules adopted by the council for the administration of this chapter.

Sec.

3.

RCW 28B.117.020 and 2022 c 78 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Apprentice" means a person enrolled in a state-approved, federally registered, or reciprocally recognized apprenticeship program.

(2) "Apprenticeship" means an apprenticeship training program approved or recognized by the state apprenticeship council or similar federal entity.

(3) "Cost of attendance" means the cost associated with attending a particular institution of higher education as determined by the office, including but not limited to tuition, fees, room, board, p.

4 SB 5275 books, personal expenses, and transportation, plus the cost of reasonable additional expenses incurred by an eligible student and approved by a financial aid administrator at the student's school of attendance.

(4) "Federal foster care system" means the foster care program under the federal unaccompanied refugee minors program, Title 8 U.S.C.

Sec.

1522 of the immigration and nationality act of 1965, as amended.

(5) "Financial need" means the difference between a student's cost of attendance and the student's total ((family contribution)) student aid index as determined by the method prescribed by the United States department of education.

(6) "Homeless" or "homelessness" means without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence as set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act, 42 U.S.C.

Sec.

11301 et seq.

(7) "Independent college or university" means a private, nonprofit institution of higher education, open to residents of the state, providing programs of education beyond the high school level leading to at least the baccalaureate degree, and accredited by the Northwest association of schools and colleges, and other institutions as may be developed that are approved by the student achievement council as meeting equivalent standards as those institutions accredited under this section.

(8) "Institution of higher education" means any institution eligible to and participating in the Washington college grant program.

(9) "Occupational-specific costs" means the costs associated with entering an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship, including but not limited to fees, tuition for classes, work clothes, rain gear, boots, occupation-specific tools.

(10) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.

(11) "Preapprenticeship" means an apprenticeship preparation program recognized by the state apprenticeship council and as defined in RCW 28C.18.162.

(12) "Program" means the passport to careers program created in this chapter.

(13) "State foster care system" means out-of-home care pursuant to a dependency and includes the placement of dependents from other states who are placed in Washington pursuant to orders issued under p.

5 SB 5275 the interstate compact on the placement of children, chapter 26.34 RCW.

(14) "Tribal court" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 13.38.040.

(15) "Tribal foster care system" means an out-of-home placement under a dependency order from a tribal court.

(16) "Unaccompanied" means a youth or young adult experiencing homelessness while not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

Sec.

4.

RCW 28B.117.030 and 2024 c 323 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The office shall design and((, to the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose,)) implement((,)) passport to careers with two programmatic pathways:

The passport to college promise program and the passport to apprenticeship opportunities program.

Both programs offer supplemental scholarship and student assistance for students who were under the care of the state foster care system, tribal foster care system, or federal foster care system, and verified unaccompanied youth or young adults who have experienced homelessness.

(2) The office shall convene and consult with an advisory committee to assist with program design and implementation.

The committee shall include but not be limited to former foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth and their advocates;

representatives from the state board for community and technical colleges, public and private agencies that assist current and former foster care recipients and unaccompanied youth or young adults experiencing homelessness in their transition to adulthood;

student support specialists from public and private colleges and universities;

the state workforce training and education coordinating board;

the employment security department;

and the state apprenticeship council.

(3) ((To the extent that sufficient funds have been appropriated for this purpose, a)) The legislature shall appropriate funding for the passport to careers program.

Appropriations must be made on the basis of estimated eligible participants enrolled in eligible institutions of higher education or apprenticeship programs.

All eligible students are entitled to a passport to careers award beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.

p.

6 SB 5275 (4) A student is eligible for assistance under this section if he or she:

(a)(i) Was in the care of the state foster care system, tribal foster care system, or federal foster care system in Washington state at any time before age twenty-one subsequent to the following:

(A) Age fifteen as of July 1, 2018;

(B) Age fourteen as of July 1, 2019;

and (C) Age thirteen as of July 1, 2020;

or (ii) Beginning July 1, 2019, was verified on or after July 1st of the prior academic year as an unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness, before age twenty-one;

(b) Is a resident student, as defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2), or if unable to establish residency because of homelessness or placement in out-of-state foster care under the interstate compact for the placement of children, has residency determined through verification by the office;

(c) Is enrolled with or will enroll on at least a half-time basis with an institution of higher education or a registered apprenticeship or recognized preapprenticeship in Washington state by the age of twenty-one;

(d) Is making satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of a degree, certificate program, or registered apprenticeship or recognized preapprenticeship, if receiving supplemental scholarship assistance;

(e) Has not earned a bachelor's or professional degree;

and (f) Is not pursuing a degree in theology.

(((4))) (5) The office shall define a process for verifying unaccompanied homeless status for determining eligibility under subsection (((3))) (4)(a)(ii) of this section.

The office may use a letter from the following persons or entities to provide verification:

A high school or school district McKinney-Vento liaison;

the director or designated staff member of an emergency shelter, transitional housing program, or homeless youth drop-in center;

or other similar professional case manager or school employee.

Students who have no formal connection with such a professional may also submit to the office an essay that describes their experience with homelessness and the barriers it created to their academic progress.

The office may consider this essay in lieu of a letter of homelessness determination and may interview the student if further information is needed to verify eligibility.

p.

7 SB 5275 (((5))) (6) A passport to college promise program is created.

(a) A passport to college promise scholarship under this section((:

(i) Shall not exceed resident undergraduate tuition and fees at the highest-priced public institution of higher education in the state;

and (ii) Shall)) shall be $5,000 annually beginning in the 2025–26 academic year and may increase annually by the tuition growth factor defined in RCW 28B.92.030;

however, the scholarship may not exceed the student's financial need, when combined with all other public and private grant, scholarship, and waiver assistance the student receives.

(b) Passport to college promise scholarship eligibility may not extend beyond six years or 150 percent of the published length of the program in which the student is enrolled or the credit or clock-hour equivalent.

(c) The office, in consultation with and with assistance from the state board for community and technical colleges, shall perform an annual analysis to verify that those institutions of higher education at which students have received a scholarship under this section have awarded the student all available need-based and merit-based grant and scholarship aid for which the student qualifies.

(d) In designing and implementing the passport to college promise student support program under this section, the office, in consultation with and with assistance from the state board for community and technical colleges, shall ensure that a participating college or university:

(i) Has a viable plan for identifying students eligible for assistance under this section, for tracking and enhancing their academic progress, for addressing their unique needs for assistance during school vacations and academic interims, and for linking them to appropriate sources of assistance in their transition to adulthood;

(ii) Receives financial and other incentives for achieving measurable progress in the recruitment, retention, and graduation of eligible students.

(e) To the extent funds are appropriated for this specific purpose, the office shall contract with at least one nongovernmental entity to provide services to support effective program p.

8 SB 5275 implementation, resulting in increased postsecondary completion rates for passport scholars.

(((6))) (7) The passport to apprenticeship opportunities program is created.

The office shall:

(a) Identify students and applicants who are eligible for services under ((RCW 28B.117.030 [this section])) this section through coordination of certain agencies as detailed in RCW 28B.117.040;

(b) Provide financial assistance through the nongovernmental entity or entities in RCW 28B.117.055 for registered apprenticeship and recognized preapprenticeship entrance requirements and occupational-specific costs that does not exceed the individual's financial need;

and (c) Extend financial assistance to any eligible applicant for six years or 150 percent of the published length of the program in which the student is enrolled or the credit or clock-hour equivalent.

(((7))) (8) Recipients may utilize passport to college promise or passport to apprenticeship opportunities at different times, but not concurrently.

The total award an individual may receive in any combination of the programs shall not exceed the equivalent amount that would have been awarded for the individual to attend a public university for six years with the highest annual tuition and state- mandated fees in the state.

(((8))) (9) Personally identifiable information shared pursuant to this section retains its confidentiality and may not be further disclosed except as allowed under state and federal law.

NEW SECTION.

Sec.

5.

A new section is added to chapter 28B.117 RCW to read as follows:

The caseload forecast council shall estimate the anticipated caseload of the passport to careers program and submit the caseload forecast as specified in RCW 43.88C.020.

29 SSBSB 5275