College promise pilot

AN ACT Relating to establishing a college promise pilot program; 1
adding new sections to chapter 28B.92 RCW; making an appropriation; 2
and providing expiration dates. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts 5
appropriated for this specific purpose, the council shall collaborate 6
with a registered 501 (c)(3) that provides student services in 10 7
counties across eastern Washington and is headquartered in a county 8
east of the crest of the Cascade mountains to establish a college 9
promise pilot program beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.10
(2) The college promise pilot program must select a minimum of 11
100 students per year within a 10-county region served by a single 12
regional promise program to receive up to $5,000 annually for tuition 13
and fees. Eligible recipients are students who: 14
(a) Have graduated from a high school within the 10-county 15
region; 16
(b) Have enrolled in an institution of higher education, an 17
apprenticeship, or other postsecondary credential program located 18
within the 10-county region within one year of graduating high 19
school; 20
H-0622.2
HOUSE BILL 1495
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Hill, Schmidt, Peterson, Reed, Goodman, Parshley,
Ormsby, Pollet, Scott, and Volz
Read first time 01/22/25. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
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(c) Have filled out a free application for federal student aid or 1
a Washington application for state financial aid; 2
(d) Have a family income that does not exceed 150 percent of the 3
state median family income; and 4
(e) Are part of a program that provides mentoring services to 5
students on posthigh school education. 6
(3) Funds must be distributed to the council and paid directly to 7
the institution, apprenticeship, or program indicated in subsection 8
(2)(b) of this section. 9
(4) The amount of funds awarded to eligible students under the 10
college promise pilot program must be calculated and determined after 11
all other state and federal aid has been applied. 12
(5) This section expires August 1, 2029. 13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The source of funds for the college 14
promise pilot program shall be a combination of private grants and 15
contributions and state matching funds.16
(2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 17
specific purpose, the state shall provide an annual appropriation to 18
match private grants and contributions on an equal dollar basis.19
(3) A state match may be earned under this section after the 20
effective date of this section. 21
(4) This section expires August 1, 2029. 22
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The college promise pilot program 23
match transfer account is created in the custody of the state 24
treasurer. All receipts from appropriations by the legislature, and 25
any gifts, grants, or donations received by the council for this 26
purpose must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the 27
account may be used only for the college promise pilot program 28
established in section 1 of this act. Only the executive director of 29
the council or the director's designee may authorize expenditures 30
from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures 31
under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for 32
expenditures.33
(2) No expenditures from the account may be made except upon 34
receipt of proof, by the council from the program administrator, of 35
private contributions to the college promise pilot program. 36
Expenditures, in the form of matching funds, may not exceed the total 37
amount of private contributions. Expenditures must be made as soon as 38
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practicable following receipt of proof as required under this 1
subsection. 2
(3) The council shall enter into an appropriate agreement with 3
the program administrator to demonstrate exchange of consideration 4
for the matching funds. 5
(4) For the purpose of this section, "program administrator" 6
means the registered 501 (c)(3) that provides student services in 10 7
counties across eastern Washington and is headquartered in a county 8
east of the crest of the Cascade mountains which administers the 9
college promise pilot program in section 1 of this act.10
(5) This section expires August 1, 2029. 11
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts 12
appropriated for this specific purpose, beginning in the 2025-26 13
academic year, a registered 501 (c)(3) that provides student services 14
in 10 counties across eastern Washington and is headquartered in a 15
county east of the crest of the Cascade mountains shall establish a 16
high school promise pilot program within the college promise pilot 17
program at which graduating high school students may receive full 18
tuition for two years of community college located within the 10-19
county region.20
(2) The registered 501 (c)(3) must select three high schools 21
within the most populous county east of the crest of the Cascade 22
mountains as follows: 23
(a) One public high school serving fewer than 1,000 students;24
(b) One project-based high school serving fewer than 300 25
students; and 26
(c) One high school serving only juniors and seniors and serving 27
fewer than 500 students. 28
(3) This section expires August 1, 2029. 29
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) In accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the 30
registered 501 (c)(3) shall submit a report to the council to submit 31
it to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 32
2028. The report must include the following information:33
(a) The number of promise program students that attend a 34
community college and received funds under the programs established 35
in sections 1 and 4 of this act; 36
(b) The number of promise program students who complete a degree 37
within two years; and 38
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(c) The number of promise program students who transfer to a 1
four-year institution of higher education. 2
(2) For the purposes of this section, "promise program students" 3
include those who received up to $5,000 annually for tuition and fees 4
through the program established in section 1 of this act, and 5
graduating high school students that received full tuition for two 6
years of community college through the program established in section 7
4 of this act. 8
(3) This section expires August 1, 2029. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of $500,000, or as much thereof as 10
may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 11
2026, and the sum of $1,000,000, or as much thereof as may be 12
necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, 13
from the general fund — state to the student achievement council for 14
deposit into the college promise pilot program match transfer account 15
solely for the purpose of implementing this act.16
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 1 through 5 of this act are each 17
added to chapter 28B.92 RCW.18
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